“You know full well the tragedy of our city. It lies in ruins, and its gates are burned. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and rid ourselves of this disgrace!” (Nehemiah 2:17)
After the Babylonian captivity, the people of God returned to Jerusalem to begin rebuilding their lives and the holy city. But even after the Temple had been rebuilt and worship was taking place, the city walls still lay in ruins. When this was reported to Nehemiah, he heard God’s call to lead the project to rebuild the wall; and, after fifty-two days of building, the walls were completed.
This protective stone wall around the holy city is a picture of the protective spiritual wall that should encircle the people of God. However, unlike the stone wall around Jerusalem that took only fifty-two days to rebuild, the spiritual wall around the saints of God must be worked on every day of our lives.
Just like the enemies of God’s people in the time of Nehemiah, who delighted in destroying the stone walls of Jerusalem, the enemies of God’s people today delight in destroying the spiritual protection of the God’s children. The world makes every attempt to distract us from prayer, disconnect us from corporate worship, and distance us from the study of God’s Word. But, like Nehemiah, we must be diligent and determined not to let anything get in the way of our building project. Every prayer, every worship service, and every daily reading of the Bible is another protective stone added to the spiritual wall of protection around us.
Let me ask you a few questions: How is your prayer life currently? How regularly do attend worship at your church? How much time do you spend reading the Bible each day? Prayer, corporate worship, and Bible intake come under the heading of “The means of grace.” These are just some of the means God has ordained for us to receive His grace, which empowers us to live the Christian life. These means of grace (and many others) are God’s supernatural stones of protection that reinforce our resolve, fortify our faith, and raise our resistance to the temptations of the devil.
Regardless of where this finds you today, be encouraged! As I often say here, God is not in the habit of calling the equipped; rather, He equips the called. God will give you everything you need to do all He is calling you to do. You simply need to appropriate the grace He has given you for the lifelong process of building and fortifying your own spiritual wall.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 