When Nehemiah learned about the destruction of Jerusalem, he wasn't just sad (Neh.1-2).
He didn't just say 'that's too bad' either.
He took action...
He prayed for God's favor, devised a plan, and stepped out in faith to restore the ruins of the city he cared so much about.
He ended up traveling about 500 miles to do it. And when he arrived he found conditions worse than he thought.
He faced opposition to his rebuilding project too.
But none of this stopped him.
With a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other, he and his men got the job done.
You know, there's plenty in need of rebuilding around us today.
It might not be the walls of a city... it could be relationships or institutions or something else.
The temptation when we see the effects of evil around is to sigh and shrug.
But the example of Nehemiah encourages us to seek God's favor, come up with a plan, and take action with a believing heart.
Yeah, you might not be in a place of great influence like Nehemiah.
Yet surely there's some way you can put this pattern into practice where God has you today.
Gloomy passivity never restores anything. But prayerful activity does.