October 22, 2022

Nehemiah 4: 1, 8, 10 (NIV)

When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry . . . He ridiculed the Jews. . . . They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. . . . Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we can’t rebuild the wall.

Crisis doesn’t necessarily make character, but it certainly does reveal it.*

Nehemiah had never been to Jerusalem, the capital city of his homeland, but it weighed heavily on his heart that 100 years after the first exiles had returned there from Persia, the city’s walls had not been rebuilt. His boss, King Artaxerxes, learns of Nehemiah’s concern for Jerusalem and sends Nehemiah off to Judah on a reconnaissance mission, armed with letters of safe conduct and a request for a donation of timber from the king’s forest.

After Nehemiah assessed the progress of the construction of the city walls, he was able to inspire the officials to exclaim, “Let us start rebuilding.” It didn’t take long before trouble arose, but they were not insurmountable obstacles. Instead of complaining or giving up, Nehemiah found solutions.

First problem: Some locals weren’t happy about the project and began to heckle the workers. They were led by Sanballat, who was a member of an influential political family, and Tobiah, an Ammonite official. 

Solution: Ignore them and keep on working. 

Second problem: A plot was hatched by Sanballat, Tobiah, and some other nasty characters. They were going to “fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble.” 

Solution: Pray to God and post a guard 24/7; organize and arm the people according to family groups to stand guard. 

Third problem: The workers were exhausted. (Actually, they made the complaint sound like two problems: tired workers and lots of rubble.) But mostly they were afraid. 

Solution: While half the men work, the other half are equipped with weapons; establish an emergency procedure involving a trumpet call and a rally point; have the workers spend the night in relative safety within the city.

Nehemiah sets a wonderful example for us to follow when addressing problems. We first must note what he didn’t do: Look for someone to blame. Most of the culprits were easily identified but he didn’t waste time calling them names or indulging in “if only” speculations. And then there is what he did do: He prayed and looked for solutions. He prayed, he planned, he organized, he was positive; and he worked alongside his men, sharing every hardship they endured. (See verse 23.)

We find that Jesus demonstrated similar problem-solving skills in the performance of his first miracle (John 2: 1-11). When the complaint was brought to his attention, he didn’t stop to find out whose fault it was (again, it was pretty clear who was to blame), and he solved the issue – miraculously.

Next time you are faced with a complaint, don’t worry about whose fault it is. Pray and get to work on the solution. You will get much better results that way!

Whatever your . . . challenges, you need only to ask the One whose resources are unlimited.*