I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:12).

Have you been depressed by the breadth of brokenness surrounding you? Have you been overwhelmed with a looming project or the sheer volume of work that needs to be done? I certainly have! Gosh, it seems as if the world is crumbling around us right now! 

Nehemiah is overwhelmed with grief at the destruction of his beloved city Jerusalem. Its walls have been reduced to ruins, and both the secular and the spiritual sides of Israel are compromised. 

Nehemiah hopes to fix the massive problems. He longs to begin a new work, and he’s prepared to embark on something monumental. He’s ready to tackle the rebuilding project by raising the protective walls so the city can be brought back to life. The task will be costly, demanding, time-consuming, and it will likely be faced with opposition and challenges.

How does Nehemiah come to this point of decisive action? Where does his inspiration come from? His strength? 

“I had not told anyone what my God had told me to do.” In his sadness, Nehemiah had told God what he was grieving about and had laid his feelings at His feet. God responded to him. He told Nehemiah what to do. He gave him the inspiration, the goal, the practical ideas of “how-to” overcome the destruction and begin the restoration. 

Nehemiah spends time with God, and in so doing, he receives healing, strength, restoration and power to bring about restoration around him.

Lord, help me now to bring my sadness to you. Help me to “Be still and know” that you are God. Please heal me, restore me, and inspire me to be an instrument of restoration to the world around me. Thank you. Amen.