Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt.
Nehemiah 7:4
Nehemiah knew the importance of “gathering the troops” – of assembling the people of Judah to begin building their homes. What good would a wall be if there were no people? What good would people be if they didn’t begin to gather and build their physical and spiritual homes together?
So he found the genealogical record and conducted a census of those who had returned from captivity in Babylon. Nehemiah 7:1-73 describes the people of the province and the significance of gathering the broken, disgraced, and shamed people of Judah to begin the process of revival.
God the Redeemer repairs the broken places of our lives and revives us so that, as His Redeemed people, we can in turn reach out to a broken world, offering the hope of Jesus Christ. Nehemiah gathered the people who had come out from Babylon and brought them hope once again. God is gathering His troops today, assembling people to begin to build their homes for Christ. He is looking for Christians who are willing to allow the Holy Spirit to repair the damage to their own homes first, and then to send them out to help others. He is gathering an army that may look weary, broken, and destitute, but He is bringing hope and redeeming the lost.
As the Lord works in your life transforming the broken places and strengthening you, He is gathering you to Himself and then joining you to other people whom He has brought hope. Together we are a kingdom united, not divided – united in His love and one in His Spirit.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for restoring and building me into a “house” to be used for Your glory. Help me to build a house for You to dwell in and to strengthen others as we build one another up with the hope that You bring.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
