Building Up the Wall

Do you have anything in your life, family, or church that needs rebuilding?  Sunday, we began a new series our Nehemiah's story of rebuilding the torn down wall of Jerusalem.  We began with Nehemiah's grief.

Nehemiah heard that the the Jewish remnant in Jerusalem was living in disgrace and that the wall had been torn down and the gates burned.  When he heard this, he grieved.  His grief led him to prayer.

For a lot of us, our grief leads us to griping, not praying.  It's probably easier, just to find a few friends who will help us feel miserable, but Nehemiah was interested in making a difference, not just complaining about his circumstances.  So Nehemiah prayed . . . He took his concerns to the Lord.

Nehemiah's prayer was the beginning of something awesome.  Did you know that they were able to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in 52 days.  The wall itself was 4.5 miles in circumference!  Wow!!!

Do you have anything in your life that is causing you grief?  Maybe a failed relationship or a loss of hope.  Have you ever had a door shut in your face that makes you wonder, "God are you still there and do you even care?"  If the answer is yes, then you have two options.

One, you can gather a group of fellow complainers and spend your tie wallowing in your own misery.  Or, option number 2, you can take your concerns to God and ask him what He and you can do about it.

The one thing which made a big difference for Nehemiah when he prayed, was that he remembered the promises of God.  God had promised a place in the promised land for Israel.  Remembering God's promises gave hope and encouraged Nehemiah to take action.  what has God promised you.

Whatever grieves you about your life or the lives of others, take it to God in prayer and then grab ahold of God's promises.  You and God can make a big difference in your life.

Have a great week building up the wall of God's promises in your life.  See you Sunday at New Life (meeting at the ARC , 1701 W Ash Street).  Tom Ragsdell