Rebuilding America's Walls

Pastor Steve Nash

In past patriotic articles I made it clear that America is indeed a blessed nation, having our foundation laid by men and women of great faith and self-sacrifice. They were thinking of us! They were looking ahead, knowing that they were laying a foundation that we could build upon and enjoy the freedom from tyranny they fought so hard to vanquish.

Unfortunately, the “walls of defense” have been breached. In fact, they are beginning to crumble. Our guard has been down and our walls have been infiltrated by forces of evil. These forces may be the gross illegal immigration by those who have no connection or love for this country. They also may be forces of evil ideology whether political, social or spiritual. These infiltrators have a different goal for America, a goal that is contrary to the design of our founders and their documents.

Nehemiah, during the days of the Jewish captivity in Persia, faced the same dilemma as he heard news that Jerusalem was demolished and being ransacked by people who had no love for his city. He was tremendously grieved and broken as he heard the news about the horrible condition of his beloved city—the city of God. His countenance became sad and the King of Persia noticed he just wasn’t the same old cupbearer he had always been (read Nehemiah, chapter 1).
Sadly, many Americans, even Christian Americans, seem not to care about the decay of our own country and all for which it has stood. We have grown unalarmed, unresponsive and apathetic about the decline of our nation. The attitude about some important issues is:
• Abortion – I’m tired of that fight.
• Same Sex Marriage – We’re fighting a losing battle.
• Religious rights – We’ll go underground if that continues.
• Parental Rights – I don’t have the time to monitor everything that deals with my children.

Instead of those sorry attitudes, we might instead embrace the spirit of Nehemiah. The first thing he did was to pray a prayer of humility, trust, repentance, and submission to the will of God. We must refuse to have the fatalistic mindset of so many today. We must ask God to pull our heads out of the sands of indifference and denial. We must go to the One who can do all things right.

The second thing Nehemiah did after receiving permission from the King to return to Jerusalem was to “scope out” the condition of the city. He needed to get the true picture of the sad condition of Jerusalem. Denial of or spinning the true state of the land he loved wouldn’t serve anyone any good. He was a leader sent by God to do a great thing. He did not possess the attitude that “someone else will do it.” He was compelled by his God and no one, not even his enemies could deny it. Because of this truth he gained the love and trust of his people and the fear and respect of his enemies.

The third thing Nehemiah did was to cast vision. A vision that is effectively cast will be caught by others of like mind and spirit. Sometimes you may feel that you’re all alone in the battles you fight. You’re not! There are many others out there who believe as you do. Sometimes the problem is that we’re all over the place. We are not connecting as we could with the right people at the right time doing the right thing that God has called us to. When Nehemiah spoke everyone listened because he spoke the truth in love and would not back down! The people caught his vision and joined him in this great effort.

The fourth thing Nehemiah experienced was opposition. My friend, if you commit yourself to get into the trenches and fight the good fight, you’re going to be fired upon! If you’re involved in something that you feel is truly changing your community and there is no opposition, well, chances are you’re probably wasting your time and involved in the wrong fight.

Nehemiah was not going to let evil people overcome him in his battle for the preservation of the city. He knew that light is greater than darkness, truth is greater than lies, good is stronger than evil, love is more powerful than hate and fire is hotter than smoke! Know who you are and Who you belong to! Be certain you’re on the right team – the team that truly loves their country and all it has stood for through the years.

The last observation I want us to see is the determination of Nehemiah to finish his work. Momentum is everything when attempting great things for God. The one who carries the ball forward will score the touchdown. The fear of many is that they will fumble. If others are near you as you run toward the goal they may be able to pick the fumbled ball up and continue the process forward. Sometimes it is two steps forward and one step backwards, but we are progressing nevertheless.

By the blessings of God, Nehemiah and the new citizens of Jerusalem prevailed and built that protective wall in 52 days! A lot is riding on our generation. We need to realize we’re living in a very critical time in our history. I do believe it is possible to firm-up the protective walls that our founders have laid. I encourage you to read the Book of Nehemiah for faith and inspiration!