Nehemiah Teaches Us About Diligence

Nehemiah was a cup bearer in court of King Artaxerxes when he heard the news that the land of his ancestors, Jerusalem, was in disrepair. The walls surrounding the city were crumbling and the gates had been burned. This greatly distressed Nehemiah. The first thing he did was to pray to God about what he should do about it. Nehemiah then approached the King about going to Jerusalem to rebuild it. The King granted him his request.
Upon arriving in Jerusalem, the first thing he did was to inspect the damage to the city walls and the gates. Next, he built enthusiasm for the project and recruited families to become engaged in the task of rebuilding. His diligent leadership helped the workers overcome the constant ridicule and threats from the neighboring enemies.
Nehemiah understood that to be a diligent worker for Christ that you sometimes have to be a warrior, too. Despite all of the hardships of the project, he stayed focused on his goal until he had the walls rebuilt and new gates in place. He knew that it was with God’s help that the work had been completed.