How Do You Rebuild After A Disaster? (Jeremiah 1:4-10; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Luke 4:21-30)
Listen.January 31st, 2010
Rev. Dr. Craig A. Wagner
Introduction
Once in a while I will catch the TV program Holmes on Homes. This is an HGTV program that centers on rebuilding and remodeling a home that some contractor has left in very poor condition. The shoddy workmanship has left the owners in a state of stress and anxiety. They usually have been abandoned by the initial contractor with work left unfinished. The work that had been accomplished is usually so bad that it all has to be torn out and redone.
Mike Holmes and his crew come into these situations, assess the problems, roll up their sleeves and get to work. It is extensive work and even Holmes and his team get frustrated along the way. But they persevere and eventually get it done right!
Have you ever had to rebuild something? Maybe you’ve lost something to a flooded basement. Or perhaps you’ve tried to remodel a part of your house by yourself. Or maybe rebuilding has been centered on relationships: relationship with spouse of friend or children. Initially, it appears that the rebuilding process is overwhelming; almost to the point of being debilitating. And we wonder: How do we get from here to there? If we just sit and cry; if we whine and complain; we become immobile and nothing happens. Simply, although very difficult, we need to grit our teeth, buck up, dig in, and go to work. Rebuilding anything takes work, often hard work and time.
Today we take a look at Nehemiah’s story. A little background would be helpful: Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Babylonian army and the people taken into exile. Generations have passed and the city walls were in rubble. This meant that the people left were unprotected and were the laughing stock of the neighboring countries and villages. Nehemiah was a faithful person and had a burden on his heart for the people in Jerusalem. He had a vision to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem.
From despair to a dream
Nehemiah was a person of God and as such he was a person of prayer. He always prayed. Before any action or decision, he would pray. Because he was a person of prayer and had an official position in the government, he would have his dream fulfilled in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem.
Nehemiah prayed in order to communicate and connect with God and so that his dream and his ideas and his plans would align with God’s plan. His heart was in despair concerning the rubble in Jerusalem and so he began a conversation with the King Artexerxes. He told him of his plan of restoration of the wall. He told the king that God had placed this burden on his heart and he desperately wanted to do this.
We note in our reading of the book of Nehemiah that he spoke to the king AFTER he prayed. He had the habit of prayer. Prayer helped to move him out of despair and replaced the despair with the dream of rebuilding the wall.
Nehemiah was also in a good position to rebuild the wall. He was the cup-bearer for the king. The cup-bearer was the person who would bring the cup of wine or other beverage to the king. They would on occasion drink from the cup before the king in case someone had poisoned the wine. This was an influential position and it was often a lucrative position. These were well-paid individuals. This helps explain why Nehemiah would have the financial resources to rebuild the wall. Nehemiah used his influence to speak to the king about his dream. Nehemiah was acting on behalf of God. He knew that God had placed him in this position as cup-bearer for a reason and he used his position to glorify God.
If we consider Nehemiah’s life of prayer and his position, we are moved to consider our own life of faith.
First: are we people of prayer? Nehemiah aligned his life and his dream with what God desired. Do we align our dreams and desires with God or do we act in a selfish manner thinking by some stretch of the imagination that God should align himself with our desires? This is not easy, but represents the initial step in rebuilding relationships.
God placed in the position as cup-bearer for the king. Nehemiah used his position to glorify God. God has placed us where we are. Are we blooming where he has planted us? Is there a mess in our family; our extended family; or other relationships? Does something need mending? That’s why we are where we are.
Is there a mess in the workplace; a problem with a social group or leisure activity? Places where God is no longer honored? That’s why we are placed where we are – to allow the light of Christ to shine through us! No despair, no whining, catch the dream and by God’s grace be God’s person.
From dream to the deed
King Artexerxes graciously allowed Nehemiah to take a leave of absence from his position as cup-bearer to go and repair the wall. Nehemiah headed straight to the disaster scene. When he arrived, he immediately proceeded to survey the damage to wall. As he walked around and as he rode his horse around the area he assessed the amount of work that needed to be done. It would be an immense job. When Nehemiah was granted a leave of absence he immediately went to Jerusalem, he didn’t stay put. He didn’t wallow in sadness, nor was he overwhelmed by the vision he had. He simply went to the scene.
If there are things in our lives that need rebuilding – whether physical items in our houses, perhaps our health or in our relationships, we begin by assessing the situation and in the process we survey the rubble! Yes, it is often discouraging to see the damage: marriages with severe problems, finances in disarray, past mistakes and other issues. It is discouraging.
Oftentimes when we see the problems and survey the situation we can be very disheartened because we know it’s going to take lots of work in order to rebuild. But instead of whining, complaining, or despairing we need to get going and start working.
Get moving. Follow God’s guidance and align our selves with his vision of a more preferable future. With God’s guidance and blessing and presence, new relationships can come into our lives, healing can happen in our older relationships, past mistakes can be forgiven and people are renewed. With the Lord good things are brought forth from problems and difficulties; place our faith and trust in the Lord and new possibilities become realities. In 1833 there was a man in England named William Wilberforce who used his position of influence to pass the Slavery Abolition Act that abolished slavery in most of the British Empire. He was a man of God and had surveyed the sin and destruction of the slave trade. God placed him in that position. By the way, Wilberforce died three days after the legislation passed!
We need to be in constant communication with God through prayer and aligning ourselves with God’s will and then moving from dreaming to doing. I know of many collectors who collect toys and other objects. The problem is they never play with the toys. They keep them in the original box so that they’re worth more. The dream is present but they never use the item for which it was created and manufactured! We need to use our talents, abilities and gifts for God’s glory, or else they will wither and die.
From damaged to being done
Nehemiah accomplished his dream and it only took 52 days! What a marvelous feat. From a position where the wall was in complete rubble to a newly rebuilt wall in just 52 days was unheard of. Yet being faithful to God’s will, it was accomplished. The feat was so astounding that the nations all around Jerusalem were extremely impressed by what had been done. The end. It had been accomplished.
It’s easy to read the story and to arrive quickly at the end (especially when we read 12 pages a day). But don’t skip the hard work involved.
There were some important steps that Nehemiah took in the process of rebuilding: First of all he got people to buy into his vision. He recruited a team to help him. It became a common vision. Nehemiah couldn’t possibly do it himself. It takes a team- always surround yourself with good and capable people.
Secondly, he called in professional people. He had talented people that knew how to build walls. Just like if we have problems in our relationships or finances: call in a financial advisor, talk to a trusted friend, see a counselor, use the resources available; and the work to rebuild the friendship, the relationship, the financial security.
Nehemiah kept going – in spite of obstacles. He was ridiculed by outsiders; people plotted against him and tried to stir up trouble. They tried to scare Nehemiah away from the project. But he kept going. His response was to pray to God and then set up defenses to protect his workers.
Don’t let the disbelief of some people sway you from doing what God has called you to do – in every circumstance as rebuilding occurs. Don’t get discouraged because of the huge task; work with others as a team and don’t get distracted by competing needs. Nehemiah’s workers were hungry and did not have enough money to pay taxes: Nehemiah championed a tax break and brought them food from his own pantry. Take care of spin-off problems. So that rebuilding can be accomplished.
Conclusion
The wall was up and all the people realized that it was completed with the help of God. Don’t give up on personal relationships or problems and honor God in all you do: PRAY; ASSESS SITUATION; GET TO WORK; PERSEVERE; FINISH THE PROJECT. Consider how your church, community, family world be more aligned with God’s kingdom because of you. Then get to work! Amen.