Tuesday, January 13, 2026
I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me, and what the king had said to me. They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and their hands were strengthened to do this good work. Nehemiah 2:18 CSB
Rebuilding the Ruins
We are currently in a series on Nehemiah called Abundant. Our Key Truth is God is an abundant God and calls His people to live out of His abundance for His glory and the good of others. Last week we saw the abundant, God-sized vision that God gave Nehemiah in the face of the sorrow he had when he found out about the destruction and desolation in Jerusalem. In Chapter two we see Nemiah in action after God answers his prayer and the King gives him permission, protection, and supplies to go to the homeland of his people and start rebuilding.
Nehemiah traveled to Jerusalem, unsure of what he was about to find. He had a letter from King Artaxerxes, but not everyone was welcoming. Some were displeased that he was there to help the Israelites and he kept his plans to himself. He went out at night, so not to be seen, to get a look at the destruction of the walls of Jerusalem that had been torn down and the gates that had been destroyed by fire. After he had assessed the damage and the work to be done, he gathered the priests, nobles, and officials of the city and told them that his desire was to organize the people and rebuild the walls and gates. He was confident in the hand of the Lord on this plan, and he told them of his vision from the Lord and the permission from the King to use the trees in the forest for lumber.
Pastor Jim gave us three points this past Sunday:
Generosity begins with a shared vision. Nehemiah shared the vision God gave him with the Jews, priests, nobles, officials, and the rest of those who would be doing the work. He is asking them for their physical commitment along with a commitment to unity. They caught the vision and were inspired and rallied to start working. They had hope for the first time in a long time.
Generosity is a shared work. When they respond positively, saying, “Let’s start rebuilding,” it marked the beginning of their united effort to restore Jerusalem. …And their hands were strengthened to do this good work,” tells of the strength given by God for them to face the tasks ahead. This would not be easy, so unity and solidarity were important. They rallied together and split the work.
Generosity produces a shared result. The wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul. When all our enemies heard this, all the surrounding nations were intimidated and lost their confidence, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God. Nehemiah 6:15-19 The people finished the wall in fifty-two days! They were strengthened by God – fortified to fortify Jerusalem again. Their enemies were terrified at what they saw. They knew that God’s strength and help was the only way they could ever have accomplished what they had in such a short amount of time.
Most of us have sadly experienced ruin in our lives – physical ruin of our bodies and possessions, financial ruin, or emotional ruins of a failed marriage or relationship. Have you wept among the ruins in some area of your life? Have you despaired in the ashes having no vision whatsoever about what the next right thing is or how you were ever going to be able to recover? The Israelites could never have done what they did in their own power. God is a God of resurrection. He is the God that makes a way and does a new thing in the desert. He does those same things for us when we are buried in the rubble. When our lives are rooted in him, our strength flows from him. When God is in the center of our hearts and lives, there is always an opportunity for him to rebuild what lies in ruins at our feet.
What does it mean to be generous and how do we live a life of generosity every day?
As Christians all that we do, say, and all that we are begins and ends in Him. We live a life of generosity every day with our whole lives surrendered to him. Generosity is the result when God invites us into his work. He invites us in to serve and grow and to give freely in any way he asks us to. When he asks us, all in is the only right answer.
Are there ruins in your life that you are still holding in your hand? Are you desperately trying to tape everything back together again instead of letting it go and rebuilding with the strength and fortification from God? Trust him with your ruins, the path to rebuilding and the future he already has planned for you.
