By night, I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire.

Nehemiah 2:13

Nehemiah inspected the walls and discovered that the gates had been burned down (2:17). He encouraged the Jews to rebuild the walls so that they would no longer be in disgrace and reminded the people that the gracious hand of the Lord was on them to help them accomplish the task. Grace is a state of unmerited favor, and disgrace is loss of grace. Nehemiah said that the burned down gates caused disgrace, and it was the grace of God that enabled them to rebuild the gates. The Lord offers us grace as He builds back the broken-down gates of our lives. Gates represent an opening, a place of entry in our spiritual lives, where the enemy seeks to come into our lives to wreak havoc or destruction. He goes after the vulnerable places – places of hurt, disappointment, bitterness, and discouragement. The easiest entry point or gateway is through our thought life. If the enemy can enter our thought life, he then has access to our lives. Agreement with God’s Word rebuilds the gate and closes it to the harmful effects of the world, the flesh and the devil. Jesus refers to Himself as the gate. (John 10:7) He is the gate through which we enter as believers, and His Word guards the gates of our lives.

Are there broken-down gates in your life? Does the enemy have access to any part of your life? Claim the promises of God, and He will rebuild every broken-down gate of your life.

Heavenly Father,

I am aware of the broken-down gates of my life. Where anger and hurt reside, the enemy has had access to my life. Heal my hurt, rebuild the broken-down places, and enable me to live into the promises of Your Word.

In Jesus’ name, Amen