Restoration – A Good Broken Heart

They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Nehemiah 1:3-4

Nehemiah was a Jewish man working in the court of the King of Persia. The Persians had defeated the Babylonians many years before and were much kinder. The Jewish people had taken to heart the instructions from Jeremiah to put down roots and get on with their lives in exile. Nehemiah was born and raised outside of Jerusalem. Eventually, some Jews moved back to Jerusalem, and they sent word back to Nehemiah that the conditions in their ancestral home were awful. Nehemiah breaks down and cries. He is broken-hearted, devastated. He rallies himself together enough to go to God in prayer.

The city of Jerusalem is more than walls and buildings. It is supposed to be the place for God’s community here on earth. Living in exile has been tolerable, but Jerusalem is the dream. It is where God’s people are able to worship, read Scripture, and celebrate holy days. It is where real fellowship happens, and the family of God is made stronger. Without walls, not only does Jerusalem look unimpressive, but it is also vulnerable to raiders and foreign invaders. It is unsafe and inhospitable and unsustainable for the community of God.

Nehemiah’s experience makes us ask ourselves, where is our breaking point? Do we care about God’s community as much? Would I ever be so moved about the plight of a city or people? Do I care as much about the community of the church or my small group?

Over the course of the book, Nehemiah raises funds and recruits volunteers and goes about the difficult and dangerous work of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. He was broken by what he witnessed, asked God for guidance, and put in the work to make things right. The fact is, there is so much in our world today that should break our hearts and motivate us to do God’s work. Give God permission to break your heart so that you might be a better servant of the community of faith.