“So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work”.

Nehemiah, burdened by a love for God and his fellow countrymen, set out to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem was the center of the Jewish faith and community. It was the place that signified both strength and protection. To see the walls of this cherished city destroyed caused Nehemiah to act. Not everyone rejoiced and not everyone enjoyed the same excitement as Nehemiah. He was constantly harassed and troubled. His troubles, at times, come from within. He found discouragement in the words and actions of his fellow Jews. He was also harassed and troubled by those outside their community. In spite of all this negativity, strife, and constant threat of physical attack, the walls were being rebuilt and the honor of God’s city restored. The reason: the people of God had resolved to finish, amid the difficulty.

As the church of God today ministers, labors, and reaches out, there are some who don’t share our zeal and passion. They see no need for the church today. Our God has given us a mind to work. We know what we are to be doing. The church is to be the hands and feet of Christ to a world that needs Him. We know where our power comes from. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a constant source of strength. We are building walls today. We are building walls of morality in the midst of an immoral society. We are building walls of faith in a faithless society. We are building walls of love around a society that may not know how to love. Despite the opposition and resistance, the NT church has been given a mind to work. The question is this: Will we do it?