Nehemiah: God Is with Us in Hard Times

Do you feel like the world is falling apart? Do you wish someone would have
the courage to step forward and fix it? Nehemiah knew what that felt like.
He was a cupbearer to the Babylonian king, living in a time after God’s
people had been exiled for worshiping idols and rejecting God’s good
commands.

Nehemiah was heartbroken when he heard the news that Jerusalem, the beloved
city of God’s people, lay in ruins—homes reduced to rubble, the temple
destroyed, and the walls broken down.

A city without walls had no defense.

Nehemiah wept and prayed for guidance, asking for forgiveness for the
sinful things God’s people had done. Miraculously, God not only released
him from his cupbearer responsibilities to the king but also provided
protection along the way AND the materials to build!

Once Nehemiah arrived, he assessed the damage, which was worse than he
expected. But Nehemiah was not deterred in what God had called him to do.
Instead, he rallied the Jews, newly returned from exile in Babylon, and
told them he had a plan, the materials, and most importantly, God’s
approval. The people would work together to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls.

But Nehemiah faced repeated and discouraging opposition. Still, he trusted
in God. He knew God had blessed the rebuilding project, and eventually the
walls were rebuilt.

As Christians living life in this crazy world full of brokenness and lies,
we find hope in Jesus when we read the Bible, God’s love letter to us. In
the book of Nehemiah, we hear over and over again reminders and promises
that point to Jesus: that God is with His people, no matter how hopeless
the situation may seem, and that He is ready to restore and redeem those
who repent, even though we have sinned. We are free to serve Jesus, knowing
that we are never alone and that He promises to one day make all things
new—free from sin and death. • Jarm Del Boccio

• When Nehemiah saw the brokenness around him, he talked to God. What is
weighing on your heart today? Consider taking a moment to talk to God about
these things.

• How can the promises of Jesus encourage us to pray about, and maybe even
take action to help with, the situations that weigh on our hearts? (Matthew
28:20; 1 John 1:9; Revelation 21:1-6)

When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were
frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the
help of our God. Nehemiah 6:16 (NLT)

Read Verses:

Neh.1.1-Neh.2.8|Neh.6.16