Nehemiah 2:17Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.”
The people of Judah had tried building the wall and failed. They learnt to live with the broken walls for more than 100 years now.
Nehemiah who came down to build the wall:
- He didn’t blame the people of Judah for their failures
- He didn't look down on the people and their lack of passion.
- He didn’t give free advice of what should have been done.
- He didn’t exalt himself as a superhero who came for rescue.
But he identified himself as one among them!
It was not their troubles, but our troubles!
It was not "you are in disgrace”, but "We are in disgrace".
Everyday we come across people who are suffering, who are broken, who are in difficult situations and request us for prayers or counsel.
How do we deal with them?
Do we judge them hearing their story?
Are we quick to offer them advice on dos and don’ts?
Job’s three friends came to strengthen Job hearing about the tragedies (Job 2:11-13). But they gave him long speeches, judged him, spoke words that were not God’s true characters and finally got rebuked by the Lord (Job 42:7-9).
But Jesus identified Himself with the broken people:
- He wept with Mary and Martha,
- He listened to the Samaritan woman,
- He feasted with Zacchaeus,
- He spoke for the prostitute woman who was about to be stoned.
May we be like Jesus and Nehemiah, identify ourselves with people who are broken, wear their shoes, walk with them, listen to them, see and experience their troubles as our own troubles, weep with them and gently draw them to the Lord.
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