ON THE VANGUARD

REBUILDING
“Then I said to them, ‘You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.’ I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me.
They replied, ‘Let us start rebuilding.’ So they began this good work.”
Nehemiah 2:17-18

From start to finish, the wall was completed in fifty-two days. When their enemies heard about the reconstruction, they were full of fear. Suddenly Jerusalem was no longer a city to laugh at. Self-confidence for Jerusalem rose, while for their enemies it was lost. God had helped them to build a stronger city by helping them fortify their wall. As with the Great Wall of China, rebuilding meant expansion. Jerusalem was now more spacious and allowed more people to abide in the city.
At the time of the Feast of Trumpets, the Israelites had settled in their towns. As they meet together near the Water Gate, Ezra began reading the Book of the Law. Following the Feast, the people joined together for a time of fasting. It was in this time that Israel cried out as a whole for the forgiveness of their sin, and the wickedness of their fathers. It was also in this time that they reflected on who God was and praised Him for being a God of mercy.

“But in your great mercy you did not put an end to
them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and
merciful God”
Neh 9:31

Years have passed since my freedom from my addiction. God continued to not let go until finally, like Nehemiah, the realization that the walls were destroyed in my life became evident. I then surveyed my walls, looked intently at my gates, and found the best method for repair. It was God. My wife came back to me within three months of our split, but the trust was gone. I had lied and snuck around too much. Eventually our marriage did end in divorce seven years later. I take blame for my actions. But it has been part of the surveying that needed to be done. In my moments of being alone I have found something better than pornography. I have found a cure for my rejection. I have found a reason to rebuild and the tools to do so.
In his book, Seductions Exposed, Gary Greenwald speaks of the importance of examining ourselves.

“Today, as never before in history, all of us need to
examine our Christian walk. If we realize that a spirit
of worldliness and compromise has indeed crept into
our Christian walk, let us repent of it, turn away from
it, and seek the Lord with all our heart. Or, if we have
allowed ourselves to come under the influence of
someone or a group that is not of God, let us break
that association and renounce any ungodly spirits that
may have been transferred to us…If we continue to
compromise and mix God’s Spirit with the world’s
spirit, God’s blessings and covering will finally cease
and judgment will fall.”

When I examined myself and repented of my sin, God helped rebuild me based on His word. According to Him, I am a child of God, an over comer, the head and not the tail, and truly loved by Him. I did not believe this at first, just like the people of Jerusalem probably did not believe they could rebuild the wall at first glance. But as I kept getting in God’s word and seeing myself through His eyes, God kept working deep in me to build a firm foundation. Just as the latter structures of the Great Wall were rebuilt stronger each time, so my wall is also stronger and more fortified than the early rendition.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand
firm, then and do not let yourself be burdened again
by a yoke of slavery.”
Gal 5:1

Stand firm! Take inventory of your life and see if your walls have been destroyed. If so, God can help you rebuild and bring in your life strong, fortified walls. I, like those of Jerusalem, stand in awe of God and praise Him for never giving up on me. I thank Him for His mercy. I worship Him for the reconstruction of the walls in my life; the firm foundation I am now able to stand on. I urge you, survey your walls, repair the cracks, and join me ON THE VANGUARD!