‘So I arrived in Jerusalem. Three days later, I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem. We took no pack animals with us except the donkey I was riding. ‘ Nehemiah 2:11-12(NLT)
‘Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform that had been made for the occasion. To his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah. To his left stood Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. Ezra stood on the platform in full view of all the people. When they saw him open the book, they all rose to their feet. Then Ezra praised the Lord , the great God, and all the people chanted, “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—then instructed the people in the Law while everyone remained in their places. They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage.’ Nehemiah 8:4-8(NLT)
The book of Nehemiah is a book about building and restoration. The city of Jerusalem was in ruins and the walls were broken and burned. When Nehemiah learned of its condition he set his heart to see it repaired.
In chapter eight we see how God used Nehemiah to connect people back to His plan and His purpose. It shows us that this building project wasn’t just about a wall renovation. It was about a restoration and revival in people’s hearts. Maybe those are good words to describe what you want to see God do in your relationships. But notice Nehemiah’s story didn’t begin in chapter eight with revival. It started when he surveyed the actual state of things and understood the work that needed take place.
Maybe when you look at your situation it seems like your relationship is broken and burned. The good news is that broken things can be rebuilt and burned things can be restored. In the book of Nehemiah the revival and restoration didn’t happen until they began to build with what was already there. This principle is also true with our relationships. It is easy to focus on the area that is broken down; it could be trust, communication, respect or any number of others things. But just because something is wrong in a relationship does not mean something is wrong with the relationship.
Even if you feel like your relationship is in pieces currently you can discover the joy and satisfaction that comes with building something great out of the pieces. In fact, maybe it’s in pieces on purpose. Think about Legos. They come in a box with a picture of what’s possible, but the only way to experience everything the box has to offer is to build with the pieces it contains. Our relationships are the same way and God wants to help you put the pieces together. He’s got the knowledge and instructions to take what you think is broken and build a great relationship.
Questions for reflection.
Have you been hoping for a restoration or revival in a relationship before you’ve taken inventory of the situation? What are the pieces that you can use to build toward God’s purpose in your relationships?
from Shape Of Your Heart: Discover The Building Blocks Of Great Relationships