REBUILDING A LIFE

“They will REBUILD the ancient ruins and RESTORE the places long devastated; and they shall REPAIR the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.” (Isaiah 61:4)

“The LORD will surely comfort Zion, and will look with compassion on her and rebuild all her ruins and broken walls; He will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.” (Isaiah 51:3)

Welcome to the month of June! We are almost halfway into 2024; glory to God! I believe that we are all intentionally paying more attention to the prompting and hearing from God. And more importantly that we listen to, and obey what He says. I pray that we will recognize when God is speaking to us, become more attuned to His voice, and promptly obey whatever He asks us to do.

What then is the Holy Spirit saying to us this month of June? The story of Nehemiah in the first six chapters of the book of Nehemiah describes the process Nehemiah undertook to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem. This month, God is calling us to observe and take proactive steps, even as we partner with Him to rebuild and restore broken and decaying areas of our lives. Therefore, the theme for this month is REBUILDING A LIFE.

First, we must understand that a decision to rebuild is to acknowledge and recognize that something complete and whole existed before. There is a saying that you cannot fix what is not broken. So, when God calls us to rebuild, we must acknowledge that certain things need fixing; that they are not as they should be. The first step in the rebuilding process is seeing; we cannot rebuild anything until we see things as they truly are (Neh 2:11-15). It is noteworthy that the Holy Spirit is moving in this direction, especially since we just explored the theme of HEARING FROM GOD last month. If we want to rebuild, we need God to reveal the true state of things to us; to open our eyes, our ears and our hearts to the broken, unfinished, damaged, cracked, dysfunctional and crumbled areas of our lives. We need to see where we are compared to where God wants for us. A call to rebuild is a call to improvement; it is God saying that things can be better.

We see that Nehemiah prayed for favour, for guidance, for protection. He had a heart for his people, but he did not just go in his strength. Heb 3:4 tells us that though every house is built by someone, the Builder behind them, the real Builder is God. When God opens our eyes, our ears and our hearts to the areas that need improvement, we still need to involve Him in the journey to restoration through praying (Neh 1:4-11). Nehemiah faced great opposition from people, but through the wisdom of God, he was able to effectively strategize and the work was completed in fifty-two days despite all odds (Neh 6:15). This was possible not just because God was involved, but also because he, Nehemiah, was determined and had formidable support who shared his vision and passion (Neh 2:16-18). He prayed, observed and prepared; he drew up a strategy (Neh 3; 4:15-23) that helped overcome the different threats and oppositions that stood in their way. He sacrificed selflessly for his people and ultimately completed the task; he even became governor in the process (Neh 5:14-18).

In your life, what is it that needs rebuilding? 

A relationship? Your reputation? Character? Your confidence and trust after a betrayal? Life as a single mum? Faith in God? Parenting abilities? Intimacy in marriage? Neglected great habits? Life after addiction, sickness, loss? Stability after childhood trauma? Credit score? Success after a failed marriage? Self esteem? Prayer life? Harmony & healing to an estranged relationship? Love for yourself and others? Identity in Christ? Eating habits? Family? Emotional stability? Study habits? Physical body? A venture or career? Your credibility or trustworthiness? 

Whatever it is, you must realise that you need God. Seek His face and His wisdom (Prov 24:3). Remember that except the Lord builds, all our labour to rebuild will be in vain (Psalm 127:1). Also, because rebuilding is like a second chance, it has to be gotten right; the foundation must be right (1 Corinth 3:11). Like any project, rebuilding will cost us - spiritually, emotionally, financially (Luke 14:28-29). But we must remember that we count the cost not to turn back or get discouraged, but to prepare our minds and stay the course.

I trust that the intentions of the Holy Spirit for highlighting this theme will be manifested in our lives. This shall be a season of healing, restoration, repair, reconciliation, redemption, refining, revival, advancement, perfection. And like the children of Israel, we must partner with the Holy Spirit and say “We will arise and build…let’s start rebuilding!” (Neh 2:18).

In the series, we shall consider overcoming distractions, counting the cost, beginning the journey and teamwork.

Come along!