Nehemiah had set his heart on rebuilding the city of Jerusalem. From the day he first heard of the plight of his people in that city, he planned, prepared, and prayed that God would bless his dream and allow him the privilege of rebuilding the city. There were many obstacles Nehemiah had to overcome, not the least of which was gaining approval from the king that he served in Babylon. God provided that miraculously. He had funds to raise, people to recruit, lead and inspire, a long arduous journey to make and then he had to face the opposition that he encountered once he arrived in the land. At least three local rulers were opposed to his project; Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arab. Verse 10 says, “…it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.”
But in Nehemiah we found a person so deeply convinced he was doing what God wanted him to do nothing could stop him. Les Brown writes in his book, “Live Your Dreams” the following: If you want a thing bad enough to go out and fight for it, to work day and night for it, to give up your time, your peace, and your sleep for it … if all that you dream and scheme is about it, and life seems useless and worthless without it … if you gladly sweat for it and fret for it and plan for it and lose all your terror of the opposition for it…if you simply go after that thing you want with all of your capacity, strength and sagacity, faith, hope and confidence and stern pertinacity … if neither cold, poverty, famine, nor gout, sickness nor pain, of body and brain, can keep you away from the thing that you want…if dogged and grim you beseech and beset it, with the help of God, you WILL get it!
Nehemiah certainly did!
Chuck
“Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near…Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.” (Isaiah 55:6-7)