Let Us Rise Up And Build

-August 13, 2022-

Good morning, happy Saturday,

“And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, ‘Let us rise up and build.’ Then they set their hands to this good work.”

(Nehemiah 2:18).

Today is a milestone of sorts: our 800th straight daily verse of the day devotionals. All the glory goes to the Lord! What started as a daily email to a few members of our church and co-workers at the time I was working, has grown to a website with over 400 people viewing it regularly. I am very humbled and thankful for this ministry. I really appreciate your prayers and support over this time, and look forward to many more in the future.

In today’s text, Nehemiah shares his burden to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He, like all his fellow Jews were taken into captivity in Babylon. The seventy years was over and a remnant of the people returned back to Judah and Jerusalem to their homeland. King Cyrus of Persia had issued a proclamation that they were to return and rebuild the temple. This was in keeping with the prophecy of Jeremiah. God always fulfills His word.

When some of the Jews who had gone back to Jerusalem returned to Shushan the capital, they shared the news and condition of the people and their situation. They informed Nehemiah that the people were in great distress and reproach. They let him know how the wall of Jerusalem was broken down, and its gates were burned with fire. When Nehemiah heard these words, he sat down and wept, mourning for many days, fasting, and praying.

Nehemiah was the cupbearer to king Artaxeres. One day the king noticed how sad his face was, and wondered what was wrong. That is never good for a cupbearer who served wine to the king, especially one who was always happy before. He had such a good testimony before the king. Nehemiah shares the plight of his people and requests a leave of absence to go to Jerusalem and help the people and then return to his position with the king. The king graciously committed money and supplies to help him in this cause. He traveled many miles and arrived in Jerusalem. He surveyed the situation and the made known his burden to the people his plan to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

Once the people of Judah heard all his words, they knew this was of the Lord and committed themselves to the task, saying, “Let us rise up and build.” It would be a team effort, a joint collaboration. Then they set their hands to this good work. They faced much opposition, but under Nehemiah’s leadership and all their hard work, they completed the task in a remarkable 52 days! It gives the reason in Nehemiah 4:6, “the people had a mind to work.”

Nehemiah 6:15 says, “So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.” Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China once said, “God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supplies.” The work of God is bigger than one man or one church, it is all of God’s people joining together as one to rise up and build.

Let us then, “rise up and build.” God uses many people, with many hands, to do His work on earth. He gives the grace and wisdom and empowers us to do it. We are doing His work for His glory. There are souls to be saved, believers to be taught, and churches and leaders to be raised up.

Have a blessed day building in God’s kingdom for His glory. Stay safe and healthy.

In His eternal service,

Dean