Winston Churchill once said, “Never give up. Never, never, never give up.” Centuries earlier, Nehemiah lived those words. He faced obstacles that could have exhausted even Churchill’s courage. The thirteenth chapter of his book reads like the diary of a man trying to plug leaks in a sinking ship. The priests had become corrupt, Tobiah had moved into the temple as if it were an Airbnb, and the people had lost all sense of holiness. Nehemiah was furious—he tossed Tobiah’s furniture out of the temple and reestablished proper tithing so the Levites could return to service. When he saw people selling goods on the Sabbath, he scolded the nobles of Judah, asking, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?” And when the men married pagan wives against God’s command, Nehemiah pulled hair—literally! His zeal reminds us of Jesus driving out the money changers in the temple, fulfilling the Scripture, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” Nehemiah’s methods might not pass modern HR standards, but his passion for purity and perseverance was unmatched.
Life has a way of testing our endurance. Sometimes it feels like we are fighting losing battles too—whether against discouragement, temptation, or the daily grind. Like Nehemiah, we face people who misuse their positions, distractions that clutter sacred space, and pressures that make us forget God’s priorities. It would be easy to quit and say, “What’s the use?” But perseverance is not measured by ease; it is measured by endurance. Leighton Ford once told the story of his son, Sandy, a runner who led a mile race by forty yards until his leg cramped near the finish. He fell once, then twice, but crawled on hands and knees under the tape to win. That is what perseverance looks like—getting up when everything hurts and pressing forward anyway. As Paul wrote, “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).
Nehemiah’s relentless spirit points to Jesus, who faced even greater opposition yet “endured the cross, despising its shame” (Hebrews 12:2). He never gave up on the work of salvation, never surrendered to sin, and never lost sight of His mission. Paul captured this truth when he wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Nehemiah built walls, but Jesus built a kingdom—one that stands forever because He refused to quit. Through His strength, we too can keep running, even if sometimes we must crawl across the finish line.