Nehemiah is one of the great leaders of the Old Testament. He unselfishly left his position as cupbearer to the king of Persia to travel to Jerusalem and help the people rebuild the walls of the city. Nehemiah was able to achieve this goal in a mere 52 days!

How was Nehemiah able to do this? How was he able to complete a project in ruins for several decades in record time?

Teamwork

  • While Nehemiah led the building project, he did not do all the work by himself. There were many talented Jews who worked alongside Nehemiah (Nehemiah 3:1-32).
  • The same principle holds in the kingdom of God today (1 Peter 4:10-11; Romans 12:4-8). God has given every Christian a gift (or gifts), and He expects them to use it for His glory.

Focus

  • The devil attempted to stop the work of God’s people in many different ways. Satan tried to use discouragement and distractions (Nehemiah 2:19-20; 6:1-3). He even attempted to use internal problems (Nehemiah 5:1-13).
  • Despite all the various avenues used by Satan, Nehemiah, and the rest of the nation stayed focus (Nehemiah 4:6).
  • The Jerusalem church possessed a similar attitude when confronted with challenges (Acts 6:7).

Zeal

  • Nehemiah and the nation were passionate and excited about the Lord’s work (Nehemiah 2:18; 4:6). Baruch is an excellent example of someone who possessed this spirit (Nehemiah 3:20).
  • God expects the same from His people today (Romans 12:11).

Perseverance

  • No matter what obstacles came their way, Nehemiah and the co-workers refused to quit. They were committed (Nehemiah 2:6).
  • Paul admonishes us to have the same mindset (1 Corinthians 15:58). We must always press on in the cause of Christ!

Trust

  • Nehemiah trusted in God and not himself (Nehemiah 4:20).
  • He always prayed and begged for the Lord’s help (Nehemiah 1:11; 2:4; 4:4-5, 9; 6:14).

Glory to God

  • Nehemiah acknowledged God as the source of their success (Nehemiah 6:15-16).
  • We also must always give glory to God (1 Corinthians 10:31). We must never forget that without Him, we can achieve nothing.

Conclusion:

Are you part of God’s work?