The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Nehemiah 4:1-6, “Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews.
2 He spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy men of Samaria and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?”
3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, “Even what they are building– if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!”
4 Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity.
5 Do not forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have demoralized the builders.
6 So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.”

There’s so much more to this account; believe me, it’s worth the entire read!

You’ve probably viewed some old, abandoned houses on YouTube. It seems a shame that anyone would spend so much money to build a large, two-story house and then just abandon it. Some have even tried to rebuild the houses; but, it’s expensive! Furthermore, unless you have a history with the house, why would you want to restore it?

Nehemiah had good reason to wish for the walls of Jerusalem to be rebuilt. It was the ancient city of the Jewish people. Thus, he received permission from King Artaxerxes (Neh. 2:1) to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls that had been broken down!

Quite often, it is easier to start from “scratch,” rather than to “re-build.” Yet, there was more at stake here than just building walls. These were sacred walls that excluded all but the Jewish people.

It’s often better to start over in anything rather than seeking to repair it. Take life, for example –your life! You’ve made so many mistakes! You might wish there were a way to rebuild it. Truth be told, there is! There are some sacred walls with which Jesus Christ will rebuild it. You already have His permission. Yes, it will take time before everything is in place –BUT, it will be worth it all! Your sins will be forgiven; you will have a new purpose, a new direction for life and for living!

It all goes back to the Cross of Calvary. Jesus, the Son of God, surrendered His Life to that Cross in order that all who believe will be saved! No money is involved! No human effort is effective! It all rises or falls on whether you trust Jesus’ Self-Sacrifice to atone for your broken-down life (walls).

Further, these walls are protective! The one who tore them down cannot do it again! Your life is now secure in it’s Builder, Jesus Christ! He’s free to do the job! No one else is competent! And the Price has been paid! Trust Him! Confess your sins to Him. Ask His forgiveness. Tell Him you love Him! Then, watch those broken walls of your life encounter reconstruction! Then, just Praise the LORD!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom