Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign Chuck Allen here with another weekday podcast. And I want to thank you so much for joining me today as we jump into the Old Testament book of Nehemiah. And I'll be talking about this for a few days, but when. When we look at this guy named Nehemiah, I think we need to stop and recognize this one thing. This was a guy who wept over over the walls of Jerusalem being destroyed before he ever put a plan in place to go build it. In the first chapter of Nehemiah, the Bible says, in late autumn, in the month of Kislev, in the 20th year of King Artaxerus reign, I was at the fortress of Susa. Now that's Nehemiah 1:1. Now that sounds like the start of some forgot, forgotten history lesson with names and places and date. But what's really happening here is that we're stepping into a of heartbreak and holy calling. Don't miss this. Heartbreak and holy calling. Nehemiah is living way away from home, working for a foreign king, and he hears some news that wrecks him. His brother comes back from Jerusalem and says to him, the wall of Jerusalem has been torn down and the gates have been destroyed by fire. So in other words, the symbol of his people's protection, their identity, their spiritual heartbeat, it's all in ruins. And the next line is what gets me the most. Nehemiah says, when I heard this, I sat down and wept.
[00:01:36] Not, hey, I got a plan. Hey, let's hit social media.
[00:01:40] Not, oh, I went into a strategy session. He weeps, he mourns for days. He fasts, he prays. Because before you build, sometimes you have to grieve what's broken.
[00:01:53] Before you rebuild, you must grieve what's broken. There's something sacred about that, y'. All. Most of us rush past pain. We skip over heartbreak. We want to rebuild something, fix the problem, jump into the solution, get moving again. But Nehemiah models something totally different. He stops. He gives his full attention to what's fallen apart, and he invites God into that space.
[00:02:20] His prayer is so beautiful. In verse five, it says, o Lord, God of Heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands. Listen to my prayer. Do you feel that? He starts with God's greatness, not his own despair.
[00:02:39] Nehemiah doesn't begin with, hey, look what I've lost. Look how bad things are. He begins with, look at who God is.
[00:02:47] That's a rhythm that should reshape our soul.
[00:02:51] Then he does Something radical, he confesses. Not just for himself, but for everyone. He says, we have all sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned. He doesn't point the finger at somebody else. He literally just looks at this and he stands in the gap between what was and what could be. And he owns it.
[00:03:14] That's leadership at its most honest point.
[00:03:17] Because at the heart of every rebuilding story, whether it's a wall, a marriage, a community, a church, there has to be a confession acknowledging the wrong, naming the pain, and believing that God can still make something new. Then, almost quietly, he remembers God's promise. If you return to me and obey my commands, I'll bring you back to the place I've chosen for my name to be honored.
[00:03:44] That's the whisper of hope that's running through Nehemiah's tears.
[00:03:48] Even when everything's been burned down, God says, if you'll come back, I will restore.
[00:03:54] And that's what grace looks like in the rubble of what's fallen apart.
[00:03:58] The final verse of the chapter says, in those days, listen, in those days, I was the king's cupbearer. Almost like a throwaway detail.
[00:04:09] But it's the key to everything that's about to happen. Nehemiah isn't a prophet or a priest.
[00:04:15] He's not a military leader. He's not a king. Nehemiah is a servant working in the palace of someone who doesn't even worship like him. But God uses it right there in that unlikely spot, to rebuild what looked impossible. And maybe that's the reminder we need today. You don't need the perfect platform to start rebuilding what's broken. You don't need the ideal conditions, the right connections or the spotlight. You just need a broken heart that prays and a willingness to act when God says go.
[00:04:48] So here's the question for you today.
[00:04:50] What breaks your heart? What ruins still keep you up at night, not with anger, but with ache. Because the same God who heard Nehemiah's prayer in the fortress of Susa still hears you today. And maybe the reason your heart breaks is because God is preparing you to build.
[00:05:10] Maybe our prayer should be, God, break our hearts for what breaks yours. Teach us to stop, to grieve, to confess, and then to rise. Use us right where we are, like Nehemiah, to rebuild what's fallen apart, not for our glory, but for yours.
[00:05:26] Y', all, thanks for joining me on today's weekday podcast. Now go to Live today in such a way that the world around you sees the hope of a God who rebuilds broken walls and. And restores broken people like us.
[00:05:40] Thanks so much for joining me. I'm glad you are here on today's weekday podcast.
