In England's darkest hour Churchill delivered a speech that stirred our nation to action: "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, …" In a similar way God's people, threatened by their enemies and infiltrated by those who hated them, needed the encouragement to action that Nehemiah delivers in this speech. He had come to seek the wellbeing and peace of this people, and he issues a call to work on the rebuilding of the wall despite the scorn and opposition of the world. We have our own enemy who designs our harm and, like Nehemiah, our champion Jesus Christ presses on us the evidence of God's favour towards us. What is more calculated to put fire in our belly than the knowledge that God is for us? |