Imagine living in a city that had been decimated – gates burned, great walls destroyed and reduced to rubble. For the exiled Israelites who returned to Jerusalem after it was destroyed by the Babylonians, the scene must have seemed hopeless.

     Over in Babylon, Nehemiah, the Hebrew cupbearer for King Artaxerxes, was so saddened by Jerusalem’s condition that his employer noticed and inquired. After learning about Jerusalem’s plight, the king allowed Nehemiah to return to his city to rebuild. Imagine Nehemiah as he entered the ruins of what was once a majestic city. Upon seeing the destruction, he could have collapsed into hopelessness but instead, Nehemiah was moved to act, and got to work.

     Hope. One spark of hope lit a fire that spread among the exiles. Instead of dwelling in the pain of what seemed like an insurmountable challenge, the Israelites were motivated by the vision of what could, and would, be. And so, family by family the Israelites started to rebuild.

     In reading Nehemiah 3, I was struck by how the passage recounted families repairing what was right across from their homes. “Beyond them, Benjamin and Hassbub made repairs in front of their house; and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house.” (Neh. 3: 23) “Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house.” (Neh. 3:28) Brick by brick and beam by beam each group took a section and began to build. Instead of being overwhelmed by looking at the whole city, individuals focused on sections and with everyone working together, Jerusalem was rebuilt. This is the motivating power of hope – the ability to see beyond what is and envision what might be. Couple hope with faith, and you have a mighty supernatural force behind you.

     Let’s retreat from the past and apply this to today. What is your Jerusalem? Is there something in your life that lies in ruin and seems so large and looming that you can see no end? Just as Jerusalem had sections and gates, can you break down your situation into parts? Is there something right in front of you that you can begin to rebuild with a seed of hope and a measure of faith? Do you have a Nehemiah in your life who can encourage you? Or is this a season where you’re called to be a Nehemiah for someone else?

     There is so much to learn from Nehemiah chapter 3. To most, it might look like a lengthy list of hard-to-pronounce Hebrew names. But for me, those Hebrew names took on faces and hearts, hands and feet that were fueled by the amazing power of hope. Like those who faced ruin and heartbreak centuries ago, I encourage you to find your hope, and begin your restoration … one brick at a time.