Building Walls

Recently I spent some time studying the book of Nehemiah, asking God what lessons I could learn from this hero of old about fortifying my life. I read and re-read, simply astonished at this man’s strong and simple faith. More than that, I was appalled at the determination of his enemies, and the lengths they went to in an effort to destroy the work of God. Although Sanballat and Tobiah did make some threats to physically hinder Nehemiah’s work, their attack of choice seemed to be directed to the destruction of the morale of the builders. When mocking, scoffing, and jeering failed to discourage and intimidate, they resorted to vicious verbal abuse and ridiculous rumors. Did Nehemiah ever reason that maybe building walls just wasn’t God’s will for him? Was he ever tempted to retreat or give up? Did the accusations ever strike doubts or fear into his heart? Or how about negotiating with his adversaries and making a peace treaty of sorts? Certainly not. He steadfastly refused to listen to their taunts and made no apologies for adhering faithfully to his task. In spite of all the efforts made to distract and discourage the work, it prospered amazingly because first of all, God was in it from the beginning, and also because every man worked with a tool in one hand and a weapon of defense in the other. Eventually the wall progressed to the point where the workers were able to be in the offensive instead of merely defending.

This story touched a chord in my soul. My enemy is far more skilled and cruel in his tactics than were Sanballat and Tobiah, and he knows much better than I do, just how vital is the maintenance of my wall. Nehemiah’s courageous example has inspired and encouraged me more than I can tell- his unwavering confidence that God will look after and bless His work, and his refusal to listen, even for one moment, to the empty threats of a defeated foe. Let us build, for our God will fight for us!

Here our loyal carpenters work on building our new wall- the one in front of our house. The old pillars were crumbling, so they removed the woven wire and simply added a few more rows of blocks. It not only serves to keep stray animals out and stray children in, but provides a bit of privacy from curious pedestrians. From the inside, the wall is only about four feet high so we can still comfortably see out over it.