Time To Rebuild
Impossible things happen all the time. What our earthly minds can comprehend is limited when it comes to the realm of God’s possibilities. In the next few paragraphs, two different stories of the impossible are shared: one from 445 B.C. and the other from August, 2024.
The book of Nehemiah is about an Israelite man who is sent by a powerful king to help rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Sounds pretty simple, right? Well this Old Testament book of the Bible is a little more complex. Through this book, we see how Nehemiah intently pursued what God had placed on his heart. In our own lives, we find an example in Nehemiah’s response to terrible news and a seemingly impossible situation. To build a little historical context, the Jews were in exile, Jerusalem was in ruins, and there was conflict and disunity among the people in the surrounding area. Nehemiah is greatly disturbed by the disheartening report of Jerusalem and its people. His first reaction is falling to the ground and weeping. Nehemiah cries out to the Lord, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who live him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants…” (Nehemiah 1:5-6). What is my reaction to terrible news? Well, it is not always like Nehemiah’s.
In August of 2024, with the school year fast approaching for teachers and students alike, the school where I work had some heart-breaking news. With drastically low enrollment for the school year, we would not have enough money from tuition to keep our middle and high school open. This is a small private Christian school with a history of loving the Lord and serving the community. Why would this place be “destroyed” like the walls of Jerusalem? Unless we raised enough money to bridge the gap between where we should be financially to where we actually were, I would be out of a job in less than a week. Impossible. My reaction to reading the email from my school was overflowing with worry, frustration, disappointment, and anger.
Nehemiah still had a job to do. He was the cupbearer for a powerful king named Artaxerxes. As a cupbearer, Nehemiah was held to high expectations and responsibilities at all times. Even when you receive the worst news of your life. As Nehemiah brought the wine up to the king, Artaxerxes noticed Nehemiah was not his usual self. Despite Nehemiah’s attempts to remain professional, the look on his face showed the sorrow that was in his heart. Nehemiah knows that his job and life is on the line depending on his answer, so he offers up a quick prayer to God and tells the king what has happened to Jerusalem.
I prayed. I prayed and asked others to pray with me to save my school. When the initial feelings of hopelessness and frustration drifted to the foot of the cross, peace filled their places. I knew that the building I worked in was just one of the ways that God could use me to touch other’s lives through teaching, but not the only way. Updates from the school board came with encouraging news and God’s attentive ears heard the cry of his people.
Nehemiah got permission directly from King Artaxerxes to travel to Jerusalem. Nehemiah knew that the only way that this was possible was because “the good hand of my God was upon me” (Nehemiah 2:8). In the first few days, Nehemiah arrived without telling anyone else of his plan to rebuild quite yet. First, he inspected and assessed the damage. Once he recognized what the job would require, Nehemiah then rallied the people to “rise up and build”. But not everyone was feeling too keen about this idea. In the beginning of this post, conflict and disunity was mentioned as one of the impossible things Nehemiah had to face.
As a school community, we gathered in our building and prayed and worshiped together. The damage was assessed, the “walls” was inspected, a plan was formed, and the others were rallied. With God strengthening our hands like those rebuilding literal walls, we reached out to everyone we could in a week’s time. We went out, reminding others of how good God has been to our school in the past and how He would continue to bless our school’s future (whatever that may be). Some were touched by the growth and the multiplying of financial gifts. Others were still holding on to the initial anger from miscommunication and the rock- bottom situation we were in.
Piece by piece, through the provisions of the Lord, Nehemiah and hundreds of others repaired the walls around Jerusalem. Thirty- two entire verses in chapter three are filled with the names of the sons and daughters who built the wall, the gates that were reestablished, and the bolts installed to protect the city. These people were not professional bricklayers, or mortar masters, but volunteers who wanted to serve the Lord. Even still, these volunteers were met with jeers, taunts, plots, and threats to fight against Jerusalem and cause confusion. So Nehemiah decided that half of the workers would continue construction and the other half would protect the workers from anyone trying to mess with the repairs to the walls.
By God’s miraculous blessing, we raised enough money to kick off the school year! The people who were crying out to God and confessing the shortcomings of our mistakes were the same people– a week later– crying out to God in utmost thanksgiving and gratitude. The staff, teachers, families, parents, donors, and supporters gathered together to repair the walls that were damaged, cracked, and crumbly. Impossible things happen all the time. But are we seeing them through the awe of God’s great power? What seemed like an impossible obstacle blocking the school year, God made a way through means beyond our control or our ideas. I hope you have your own story like Nehemiah’s. Thank you for reading mine.
