[Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Rebuilding the broken walls

By Oke Chinye

Read: NEHEMIAH 1 & 2

Meditation verse:

“And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.” (Nehemiah 1:30).

Nehemiah had just received a disheartening news; the city of Jerusalem was in ruins. The wall of Jerusalem was broken down and the gates were burnt down. The surviving Jews were in a desperate situation; without the city gate and walls, they were easy prey for further invasion. On hearing the news, the prophet wept, but then he realised that weeping would not change anything, so he turned to God in prayer and fasting. However, he did not stop there. He knew the walls had to be rebuilt and was willing to put himself forward instead of waiting for someone else to do it. “And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favour in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it” (Nehemiah 2:5).

There is so much decay around us. There is so much that needs to be fixed in our world today. Broken individuals who are victims of drug addiction, prostitution, rape, bullying and sexual molestation who need help. There are broken families, hungry and homeless children. There are nations with broken systems infested with corruption, decay, insecurity, crime, terrorism, and other forms of lawlessness. 2 Timothy 3:1-3 (NLT) says that: “In the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good”. We are currently living in such times.

The question then is what are you and I doing about the brokenness that is around us? Have we set ourselves to wait on God in fasting and prayer? “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Have we identified an aspect we can help and put ourselves forward to begin? Remember the famous saying: “There was a task that needed to be done. Anybody could have done it, but nobody did it because everybody was waiting for someone to do it”. Be a Nehemiah today. Identify a broken wall around you, ask God for help, then step out and begin to rebuild.

IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Dcns Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

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