Proactive

Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 1:1–3, 11 (day four)

Though there was celebration at the end of the exile, there was just as much, if not more, grieving. Families had been scattered and homes destroyed, and the city of Jerusalem itself sat in ruin. I’m sure many saw the rubble and considered it a lost cause – Jerusalem could never be restored, the kingdom of Israel could never return to what it once was.

Nehemiah grieved with and for his people, but he allowed that grief to turn into proactive hope. He could have allowed this grief to swallow him up, talking only of what could have been and “what-if,” lamenting over the state of things for decades. Instead, he allowed his grief to bring him to the Lord, who instilled a confident hope of better days to come. Not only would they rebuild the city, but they would rebuild their faith, and experience a collective spiritual milestone that would build the faith of generations to come.

When we observe the rubble around us, may it lead us to a prayerful, proactive hope.