REBUILDING BROKEN WALLS
REBUILDING BROKEN WALLS
And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” —Nehemiah 2:2-3
Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. —Proverbs 25:28
Nehemiah was noticed by the king to be having “sadness of heart.” Why? Because “the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” But Nehemiah was also willing to do what the Lord wanted to resolve the situation and the king gave him permission to depart to rebuild.
Have you and I ever had “sadness of heart” because walls have been broken down? The walls in Jerusalem had been broken down because, as Nehemiah prayed, “We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses” (Nehemiah 1:7). Disobedience surely can bring destruction of walls as it happened in Jerusalem or in our own individual lives.
The Jews lacked self-control when it came to being obedient to our Lord and there were consequences. The same can be true in our individual lives. There can be consequences for our lack of self-control. Recently I said something that I surely did not believe, but in the moment my tongue, connected to my brain… I think, said it. Then regret came and there was a breach in the wall of relationship.
Just as Nehemiah desired to rebuild the wall, so it is my desire as well. Self-control is a “fruit of the Spirit” and when it is not practiced… walls are broken… (Galatians 5:23). So, please Dear Father, help me to be better in this area by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son Jesus. So may it be…
How about you? Any walls in your life that need to be rebuilt? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWS2p1gHOCo