When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry (Nehemiah 5:6).

The Jewish people had been through so much. Seventy years in captivity, the temple in Jerusalem destroyed, the walls of protection around their city lay crumbled. During the reign of King Cyrus, the Jews were finally released and allowed to return to their homeland. Ezra had already begun repairing the temple in Jerusalem. When Nehemiah, serving in the court of Cyrus, heard the news of the ruined state of Jerusalem’s walls, God broke his heart and placed a passion inside him to restore what had been destroyed. 

Nehemiah faithfully and courageously led the recently returned exiles as they poured themselves into the work of shoring up the broken walls and securing the city gates. This hard work was all for the benefit of the entire community and the glory of God. 

Unfortunately, there were those who chose to exploit the poor laborers for personal gain, instead of serving alongside them for the benefit of all. 

When Nehemiah learned of this injustice he was angered by their cruelty. Once again, God put a burden on his heart and he stepped into action to change his world. He confronted the men who were taking advantage of the poor and called them out for their unfair practices and unjust ways. He stood up to the wrongs he saw in his community and brought justice for those who could not fight for themselves. 

At the dawn of the 19th century there was a man with a heart and courage like Nehemiah. Englishman William Wilberforce called out the horror of the slave trade in which his countrymen were engaging. He decried the injustice and cruelty of profiting from the buying and selling of people as property. God broke his heart at this evil practice. 

Through his position in Parliament, he exposed this abhorrent evil and fought tirelessly for 18 years to end the slave trade in his country. Once achieved in 1807, he persisted in the battle until the full emancipation of the formerly enslaved was recognized in 1833, just days before his death.

Not all of us will make the history books or newspapers for the injustices we seek to expose. But that doesn’t make the endeavor any less important or necessary. We can change the worlds of our neighborhoods, schools, or workplaces by bringing to light the injustices we see and working to see justice and mercy done in their place.

Is there a person, a people, or a cause for whom God has given you a broken heart? Ask Him today how you might be His hands and feet to bring His Truth and Justice to bear in the situation.