Nehemiah 2
17 Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” 18 And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me.
So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work.
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?”
20 So I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.”
The matter we find here is not directly related to the Christmas story but nevertheless contains and essential part of the Gospel for Jesus came into this world to “save His people from their sins” and set them on fire for Him and make them truly diligent in His work.
Nehemiah had a cushy job in Persia. His position meant that the King’s life was in His hands and he was also an advisor to him. Yet, his concern was for the condition of God’s work in Jerusalem. As distant as he was Nehemiah still felt godly zeal for the Lord and His people.
We find that he was able to inspire the Lord’s people to work so zealously that they completed the rebuilding of the walls in 52 days – humanly impossible but with God, all things are possible. They both defended God’s work and built, at the same time, despite all opposition.
How pitiful it is to see Christians serving the Lord half-heartedly or, even worse, being in opposition to the Lord’s work.
Our lives must be full of the vitality of God and not like a withered, dried up tree.