Nehemiah was serving King Artaxerxes as his cup bearer when one day, in the month of Chislev, his brother along with some other men came to him with terrible news:
"The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire."
Nehemiah did what godly men and women should do: He wept and mourned; and fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven.
So this is lesson number one.
When I hear bad news, do I immediately weep, mourn, fast and pray before the God of heavens? or I try to see what I can do on my own? Most of the time, to be true, we weep but not before the God of heavens, but before ourselves; and we definitely do not fast.
The Lord heard his cry and granted him grace before the terrible king of the Persians and off he went; he was determined to rebuild the walls around the city of Jerusalem.
Lesson two:
Why are walls so important? C.H Spurgeon says that broad walls are important in our churches and personal lives, because they provide three things:
1. Separation from the world {i.e holiness}.
2. Safety. "The Christian is surrounded by the broad wall of God’s power. If God be omnipotent, Satan cannot defeat him. If God’s power be on my side, who, then, shall hurt me? "If God be for us, who can be against us?"
3. Enjoyment. We can only find true joy, rest and communion when we are in Christ, surrounded by Him.