Scripture Reading: Nehemiah 2:11-20, Isaiah 62:8-12, Ephesians 2:19-22, James 2:14-26
Ask any of my friends and they will tell you this: I am terrible at the game of Jenga. It’s the one with wooden blocks stacked tall and intricately as a puzzle of sorts, criss-crossed in a stack that begs to remain unbroken. And yet, that is exactly the point of the game: taking turns slowly choosing just the right block to strategically remove, all while keeping the tower standing and intact. The first few rounds include some easy takeaways, but as the blocks continue to be removed the chances of the tower tumbling increase. And trust me, you do not want to be the one choosing the wrong block, causing the tumble, and ending the game.
Many days, it feels as if tragedy is looming and pain is just around the corner. Afraid, we don’t want to be the one to make our joys tumble into sadness, or witness our hopes disintegrating into ruin. No one wants to fall.
Jerusalem’s wall fell. Torn down and destroyed by fire, the walls and gates surrounding Nehemiah’s beloved city whispered a disgraceful story of shame and abandonment. Like standing beside a spilled tower of blocks, Jerusalem was filled with nothing but past memories and lost hopes. That is, until Nehemiah showed up with plans only God could have laid on His heart:
“You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned. Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, so that we will no longer be a disgrace” (Nehemiah 2:17).
While we fear destruction and are anticipating all the ways we could mess things up, God has already planned restoration. Where we stand in ruin, He sees new creation.
Unfortunately, I have a hard time remembering this truth when I’m in the midst of painful circumstances. And every time I choose the wrong Jenga block, so to speak, I vow to never play again, wondering what I could have done differently to avoid pain. The thought that doesn’t cross my mind so easily is this: rebuild. I don’t see the point in stacking the blocks up again, only to fall once more.
But rebuilding is not an afterthought to God. Restoration and redemption are His priority. By God’s mercy, He allows our eyes to see glimpses of the restoration plan and invites our hands and hearts into the work. Nehemiah trusted in the good work God was doing through him, even when he could not yet envision the final product. He knew the God of the heavens would grant them success (v.20).
A new wall for Jerusalem meant much more than one more round of Jenga. The rebuilt walls protected a temple, creating a safe and sacred space for worship. In the same way, our God is always building us up to know and adore Him more. This is true restoration. Thanks be to Him.
Me, too.
I love that God restores our walls and boundaries to give us a safe place to worship. His heart is always to bring us closer to him so that we can reach out in wholeness to others. Thank you God. Thank you Jesus.
This fits right in perfectly with something I am dealing with today! God is so amazing. Thank you!
Question: Why was it important in the first place to build walls around Jerusalem? What was the purpose for this? Was it for protection? Isolation?
Protection. They were vulnerable to attack from other nations. At that time, a city’s walls were a big part of what made a city safe, and often powerful. Comparable to Joshua leading the Israelites against Jericho. Jericho was untouchable by a normal army or attack. God demonstrated his power by taking the wall down in a way only he could.
I’ve kind of been stumbling around the rubble of my life since 2014 just coasting along after I left an extremely abusive relationship. Rather than addressing my struggles with PTSD and depression, I simply started working and floated along, just going through the motions. Covering my pain with isolation when I wasn’t turning to all the sinful ways to cope. It’s only been in the past few that I’ve been called to draw myself closer to God. It started with church, and then diving into his Word throughout the week because I’ve been so so hungry for the Word of God. Working on my prayer life. Ministering to my mother about becoming a Proverbs 31 Woman of today so that we may grow into Titus 2 women for tomorrow. This message is so important to me, knowing that through God I am able to take the damage and ruins of my current life and rebuild it into something so much better in His name. So happy to be exploring this with you all <33
Thank you for sharing Kristy. We’re praying for you and are so grateful that you’re here reading along with us! -Margot, The SRT Team
I can relate. I am right there with you, Kristy!!!
I am affected by this as well. You are not alone. You are loved…God has already planned restoration. Where we stand in ruin, He sees new creation.
I will pray for you. Blessings and Peace <3
I wonder how often we choose to embrace the ruin, rather that work together with God to rebuild and restore?
I’m thinking of a friend today, whose wall is in shambles and it has opened herself and her family up to attack. The Deceiver has had a heyday, and I can’t help but think she has chosen to embrace the lies rather than stand firm for the truth. My heart is broken for her and her family, and I’ve been praying she will see truth, that someone will be able to speak truth in love and that her once Godly family will be restored. How many times do we open ourselves up for attack because we’ve let our walls collapse? I’m going to think on this a bit, and pray for the courage to do what needs to be done to facilitate restoration.
Yes, yes, yes!
I love this so much!❤️
Thank you, it’s so comforting to know that restoration and redemption is his priority ❤️