The Bible Courseනියැදිය

Return, rebuild and wait – the best is yet to come

Reflect:

When was the last time you were deeply moved on behalf of others? Could our 24/7 access to news and social media be leading to compassion fatigue? Does frequent exposure to the suffering of others around the world lead to a hardening of our hearts and a sense of helpless apathy?

Nehemiah’s story points to a desperate need to recover our sense of compassion – because true compassion always leads to action.

What moves Nehemiah's compassion?

Nehemiah was working in a highly respected role as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes in Babylon (around 445–444 bc). He could have ignored the reported troubles in his homeland, but his heart was so attuned to the promises of God that he couldn’t help but weep when he heard about the sorry state of Jerusalem and its ruined walls. Nehemiah mourned for days, fasting and praying, confessing the sins of the people of Judah and asking God to hear his prayer for help and restoration.

Do we weep over the state of our cities, towns, and villages – our world? Do we cry out to God for change and restoration?

What can we learn from Nehemiah’s prayer?

On his knees, Nehemiah confessed Israel’s sin and asked God to remember his promise that if his people turned back to him and kept his commands, he would gather them from wherever they’d been scattered and bring them back to Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1.8–9).

God is still in the restoration business today; our sin has taken us far from him, but God doesn’t change in his desire to be reconciled with us.

Nehemiah asked the king to let him go to Jerusalem. When he arrived, he found a city without walls, unprotected. Living there would have felt as unsafe as sleeping in your house with the front door wide open. Many of the returning exiles lived out in the countryside in fear.

Despite opposition and the scale of the task, Nehemiah inspired the people to rebuild. Then, he and Ezra the priest worked to reform the people according to the Law of Moses. Ezra read it, explained it, and led the people in repentance and recommitment.

Respond

Do you see ruins that need rebuilding in the world? Let the story of Nehemiah take you from dreaming a dream to living it. Let compassion take you to God in prayer and move you to action today.