Brick By Brick: Building A Life Of Meaning. Lessons from the book of Nehemiah

God’s chosen people, the Israelites, have had a rocky history filled with ups and downs. From slavery in Egypt, to experiencing incredible miracles like the ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and even witnessing water coming from a rock in the wilderness. God empowered them with the ability to defeat enemies so they can inhabit the Promised Land in Canaan. They were able to be a part of the construction of the Temple but also to see the destruction of it by King Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon in 586 BC. At this time, the Israelites experienced another low. They watched their Temple and city get destroyed, and all their friends and families were taken captive by the Babylonians. After 70 years of captivity in Babylon, some Jewish people were allowed to return to their homes and begin rebuilding their Temple. It is at this time that Nehemiah comes into the picture. What God calls Nehemiah to, and what was accomplished, is nothing short of amazing. Nehemiah did something great for the Lord, his people, and the future. What God did through Nehemiah serves as an inspiration for us all. God calls all of us and can use all of us to do great things for Him. We all want to accomplish something in this life that leaves a mark, something that we can point to where we have stepped out in faith, fought the fight, and worked to build something of meaning. I believe that every single one of us was created with that desire deep down inside of our hearts. None of us want our lives to end and think that it had no meaning, we left no impact. To think that the lives we leave behind are no better because of the things we never were able to accomplish, or maybe we didn’t even try. We want to be able to reflect on our life and say that we have built a life of meaning. Something great that God had used us to build. The sad truth is some never will. As we work through the pages of this book, my hope is that God will use the life and example of Nehemiah to stir something up within us. To begin to ask ourselves, what might the Lord have me accomplish? What task might He be leading me to accomplish that will leave a lasting impact? This life we live is short, and the book of James gives us a great reminder of that.James 4:14 – Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.Our life is short, and our days are numbered. So let’s set out to do something great, something of value, something of meaning, and something that will have an impact long after we breathe our last breath. Every great accomplishment started somewhere, started small, started with one brick being laid, then slowly, methodically, prayerfully added another and another. Brick by brick, we can build a life of meaning! Read more