Nehemiah starts his book with describing the sorry state of those that survived the exile and back in Jerusalem. V3 says, "they are in great trouble and disgrace". Contrast this with Chapter 12.43; the same group of people were rejoicing before God because they had great joy and the sounds of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away!

What happened between Chapter 1 and 12? What would have happened if Nehemiah just stopped with the mourning and fasting he did right after hearing the report from Hanani?

V3 continues to say the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and the gates were burned with fire. Nehemiah took the initiative to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and restore it to it's former glory. He didn't just stop with the mourning and fasting, but stepped up and spoke to the king himself to start the rebuilding process. The process itself had its moments of uncertainty, fear, discouragement etc. But he persevered and in the end the same group of people that were disgraced were shouting out praises.

Let's use this lockdown period not just to mourn and pity the things happening around, but to take the initiative to rebuild and restore. A time of rejoicing is coming!

(This article was written during the lockdown due to corona pandemic)