Arise and Build: Strength, Perserverance, and Prayers

In my previous post, I talked about ‘Arise and Build‘. But it’s not happily ever after. It’s not all rainbows after the war cry to arise and build. In Nehemiah 4, there’s mockery, a plot to confuse the Israelites and mention of the strength of the labourers was failing, and there was so much rubbish that they could not build the wall. At one point, they had to build and defend simultaneously – with one hand they worked at construction, and the other held a weapon (Nehemiah 4:17).

The warfare continued in Nehemiah 5 where we see how there was money strife among the Jews, basically the rich Jews lording over the poorer Jews instead of helping them out.

Even after a great celebration over the finished walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah returned to the city and discovered that Eliashib the priest had prepared a room in the house of God for Tobiah, the official who had actively opposed Nehemiah’s efforts to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Levites also returned to work instead of being in the temple because portions were not given to them. People were working on the Sabbath and setting up markets by the walls and gates to work on the Sabbath.

Seeing the sad state of affairs in Nehemiah 13 made me wonder – why go through all the hard work and haste if this was how the city turned out to be? Was it worth it? Did Nehemiah ever doubt God’s plan for him to rebuild the wall, after going through the process and recieving such outcome?

Nevertheless, the completion of the wall became a testimony of God:

So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days.

And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartenedin their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.

Nehemiah 6:15-16 (NKJV)

Strength to Build

Building something alone requires strength, hence you tend to see young men rather than old men on construction sites. What’s more, building God’s kingdom will draw opposition. Resisting opposition will also require strength. So to build and fight like Nehemiah and the people requires an even greater measure of strength.

I saw how my strength to run after God’s calling in my youth fizzled out as the days of life wore me down. Yet the verse about God renewing our youthand restoring the years locusts have eatencame to mind. God reminded me of two posts I wrote – one post about eagles circling up in rest instead of flapping in frenzy and another post about 2025 which God spoke about renewing youth this year.

Perseverance to Build

These reminders came when I was weary and felt like giving up. Then I read a story about Florence Chadwick. She attempted to swim a 26-mile stretch but after 15 hours of swim, she gave up because of exhaustion. When she was on the boat, she discovered the shore was less than half a mile away. She said at a news conference, “All I could see was the fog… I think if I could have seen the shore, I would have made it.”

The advice Ps Daniel gave young pastors came to mind, “Be patient and persevere. We don’t get where God wants us to be in a year or even ten years. If you stick to it long enough, you’ll figure things out and the seasons will eventually change.”

In another Mediacorp show, a line went, “Look at him, he’s so passionate and persistent. It’s hard not to succeed.” Even in the secular world, success lessons include consistently showing up and persevering.

Rome is not built in a day, but brick by brick, day by day.

Prayers to Build

There was much opposition and resistance when the wall was rebuilt in Nehemiah’s days. Yet at each attack, Nehemiah led them in prayer or encouraged them in the Lord.

On mockery, v4: “Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity! 5 Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders.”

On the plot, v9: “Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.”

On opposition and other challenges, v14: “And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.””

On testimony of how God came through, v15: “And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.”

On how it is to construct and defend at the same time, v19: “Then I said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”

Nehemiah 4:19-20

The most important ingredient in any building project is prayer. Prayers can help us draw strength, perseverance, resources, wisdom, faith and whatever we lack from the Lord. If God has been asking you to arise and build, I pray the Lord will bless you with the faith to arise, and bless your hands in whatever you build.

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