“And they said, let us rise up and build.”
Eight to nine decades before Nehemiah’s visit, two different groups of exiled Jews returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the city —yet, the wall of Jerusalem remained in ruins and its gates burnt. But now, after listening to Nehemiah, the hopes of those living in Jerusalem were rekindled. They were excited to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.
Two aspects of Nehemiah’s conversation with the people stand out:
Firstly, Nehemiah identified with the plight of the people and included himself in working at the solution: “You see the trouble we are in…Come, let us build the wall…that we may no longer suffer derision.”
Secondly, Nehemiah shared with the people his personal experience of God’s guidance and support for the work to be done: “I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good and also of the words that the king had spoken to me.”
As we interact and work with others, may we seek to identify with their plight, include ourselves in the work of finding a solution and may we have opportunities to encourage them through our own experiences of God’s care and support in our lives.
Written by Mr. Ajit Hazra
Questions
For Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
- How can I increase the time I spend in prayer every day?
- What is the stage of your prayer life on a scale of 1 to 10? What are the challenges you face when you What are some things in our Christian life that we could plan more for?
- What are some ways in which we can confirm and be reassured that God is with us on the path we walk?
Sermon
Preacher: Rev Dr Chiang Ming Shun
Series: Band Together
Topic: Waiting and Planning as We Band Together
Verses: Nehemiah 2: 1 – 20
Read the other devotionals in our Nehemiah sermon series.
