Nehemiah in Focus- The 10000-foot view (Part I)

Unity of Purpose- The Key to Building right

The three most obvious and natural things average men resort to when there is a crisis are;

1. They try to locate the cause of the problem and chatter about it [play the blame game]. 
2. They scout out for someone else apart from themselves capable of solving the problem.
3. They simply sit down grumble, murmur, and complain about it.

  After Adam had eaten the forbidden fruit and God inquired of him whether he had eaten the fruit, Adam did not directly admit that he did. Instead, he used a subtle means to tell God that he was not responsible for eating the fruit but that ‘the woman [God] gave’ him was the one who gave him the fruit. Adam’s wife, in turn, put the blame on the serpent, saying that it deceived her (Genesis 3:9-13).
Moses had been given an assignment by God. He persistently protested to being the one chosen to deliver the children of Israel from Egypt. He did not realize that He was God’s chosen one for the job. His final objection to God’s proposal was, ‘… I'm not very good with words…’ (Exodus 4:10). And God’s reply was simply intriguing. He responded, ‘Who makes a person’s mouth?... Is it not I, the LORD?’ (Exodus 4:11). And Moses dropped yet another one: ‘Lord, please! Send anyone else.’ (Exodus 4:13). Jeremiah also had a similar conversation with God pertaining to God’s assignment for Him.
The children of Israel constantly nagged Moses. They were never satisfied with what they were given. (Exodus 14:11-13; 17:1-3). In fact, God said about them, ‘…they are a very forward generation, children in whom is no faith.’ (Deuteronomy 32:20)

Such attitudes are exhibited even in this day. Many do not recognize that they are called by God to complete certain assignments on the face of the earth. The major reason which accounts for this is a lack of knowledge of the Word of God (Hosea 4:6).

 Nehemiah was a very different man; though he’s no different from you and me. The only thing that distinguished him from the contemporaries of his day was his mindset. He thought differently from the rest of them.Word got to Nehemiah that the wall of Jerusalem had been torn down and the gate had been burned. Nehemiah did not retort, ‘And where are the leaders? What have they done about it?’ No! His response was a stunning one. The Bible says he wept, and prayed, and fasted. There was a sense of responsibility that dawned upon him. He knew that it was an opportunity for him to serve; for him to solve a problem; for him to rebuild the wall along with God’s people (Chapter 1).