Building the Wall Together

When the city wall lay broken and tumbled down, Nehemiah and the people rolled up their sleeves and built it up again, side by side.

One day, Nehemiah heard some very sad news. Far away, the strong wall around the city of Jerusalem had crumbled and broken down, and its gates had been burned by fire. Nehemiah felt the tears come to his eyes. So he bowed his head and prayed, “Please, God, help.”

King Artaxerxes was kind, and he let Nehemiah, his own cupbearer, travel the long, dusty road to Jerusalem. In the dark of night, Nehemiah rode out to see the broken wall for himself, telling no one just yet, and his heart grew quiet. Stones lay scattered everywhere, like a big puzzle tipped onto the ground. He knew this would be a very, very big job.

So Nehemiah gathered all the people together. With a warm and hopeful voice he said, “Let’s build the wall together!” The people smiled and nodded. One by one, each family picked a part of the wall to work on, all their own.

Clink, clink went the hammers as the people lifted the heavy stones. Two grumpy men named Sanballat and Tobiah did not want the wall finished, and they tried to scare them. But the workers prayed to God and kept watch day and night, and they kept right on going, trusting Him to help them and keep them safe.

And in just fifty-two days, the very last stone was set into place. The whole wall stood tall and strong again! The people cheered and laughed and sang. Together they thanked God, who had helped them finish what they began.

Thank You, God, for helping us do big things when we work together. When a job feels too big, help me keep going and trust that You are right beside me.