Rebuilding

As more people are being able to get home they are assessing the damage and making plans to clean up and some will have to rebuild. There is a lot of devastation and there will be a lot of rebuilding. Whether you have something to rebuild physically or not we all have times when we have plans to make something happen.

These situations can cause a lot of stress and concern. The best thing we can do is to let God be the director of our plan. In spiritual concerns we thing of God but maybe not in every day, practical issues. As I always say, there is nothing we will experience that is not in the Bible. I found a story that I am not familiar with in Nehemiah 2. Nehemiah returned home to find devastation.

Babylon was overtaken by the Persians, whose king, Artaxerxes, had a soft place in his heart for all those Jews who were being forced to live away from their homeland. One of his trusted confidants named Nehemiah, himself a Jew, longed to return to his beloved city in order to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem so it could be protected once again. When Nehemiah made that request, the Persian king not only granted him his wish, he even provided the official papers that would allow Nehemiah to return without any difficulty.

Finally, Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem and found nothing but devastation. Nehemiah realized more than ever that the protective stone wall must once again stand tall and sturdy surrounding the City of David. This was a lot of pressure on him and he needed a plan. He started making a plan and assessing the damage. According to Nehemiah 2: 11-16, he prayed as he prepared for the upcoming days. He did not discuss his plans without anyone except God.

Nehemiah 2: 17-18, "Then I said to them, 'You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach.' I told them how the hand of my God had bee favorable to me and also about the king's words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, 'Let us arise and build.' So they put their hands to the good work."

In less than 52 days the wall was complete! Totally reconstructed and new gates! Everyone rejoiced! (Nehemiah 6 15) The stone wall was totally reconstructed, new gates were built, and everyone rejoiced! They had lots of challenges, they had numerous obstacles, but each one was overcome as the job was finished in record time. All the leader's work of preparation paid off because the tasks were organized so well ahead of time.

As we face "rebuilding" from hurricanes, floods, relationships, jobs, etc we need to remember we cannot mess up if God is our leader! He has a better way - ways we cannot even think of and it will be the best way!