When God Rebuilds a Woman (week 1: day 1)

Welcome to the first week of diving deeper into the IM.Possible conversation. This season we're talking about rebuilding from the inside out, which is necessary to experience real healing and real growth. Each week, I'll be giving you some tools to assist you with your rebuilding process. These tools are rooted in the word of God, which gives us hope, strength, and power. So, let's dive right in.

Week 1- Day One: Foundational Text

Today, I want you to read our foundational passage which is Nehemiah 1-6. One thing I've recognized about Nehemiah, is that he was a man of prayer and integrity who sought God before saying or doing anything. And in doing so, he received direction, which he followed out of obedience. In return, he also received many opportunities wrapped in favor. Nehemiah never forgot the why behind his actions, and he always gave glory to the Who.

One thing I want you to recognize is that the rebuilding process was never about Nehemiah. It was about what God wanted to do through him. Anyone could have attempted to rebuild the wall, but God specifically chose Nehemiah to accomplish this, because of his heart and his desire for change. Just like He is calling you. You're participating in this study for a reason, and I would assume that there is a part of you that realizes there is some damage done inside of you that needs some work only God can do. And the fact that you are participating today, qualifies as a response to the damage, which gives Him a place to start.

I want you to recognize how Nehemiah responded once he realized the wall had been damaged and there was trouble and disgrace among the people. In Nehemiah 1:4-9, it says he responded in this way:

1. He sat down

2. He wept

3. He mourned

4. He fasted

5. He prayed

6. He confessed his sins

7. He reminded God of His promises

8. He confessed his commitment & his position

9. He asked God for help

Many of us have lived in survival mode for so long that we don't take time to recognize the amount of damage that has been done to us or how it has impacted our lives. That is why it's not only important to recognized that there is in fact damage, trouble, and disgrace present within your life, but it's also important to take some time out to sit in it. The first thing Nehemiah did was sit down. He didn't try to push the reality of his pain to the side or act like it didn't exist. Instead, he took the time he needed to understand the effects of his pain.

The next thing he did was cry. He didn't hold it in. He didn't distract himself. He didn't try to consol himself and pretend that he was okay. He cried, he let it out, and then he mourned. Now, those of you who know... know. Mourning is an entire process within itself. It's more than just crying. It's more than just being hurt. It's a process of grief that goes through many stages and symptoms including shock, anger, fear, guilt, depression, etc.

But what I love about Nehemiah's response is that he allowed himself to be human and feel. He did not jump right into superhuman mode or super Christian mode. Instead, he accepted the fact that there was damage and it was painful. He allowed himself to release that pain, to grieve the effects of the damage, and THEN, when he got ready to fix it, he automatically said BUT GOD! Not once did he attempt to solve the situation on his own. He turned to God through fasting and prayer, because he understood that he would never be able to rebuild without Him.

Now, as he fasted and prayed, he didn't just sit up there and point the finger at who damaged the wall or why things were the way they were. He didn't play the blame game or instruct God on how he wanted Him to fix the damage. Instead, Nehemiah took accountability for his wrongdoings by admitting that he played a part in his own pain. He admitted to not being obedient to Gods instructions and doing what he wanted to do despite what God had said. This is very important, because we can get so stuck on how everyone and everything else contributed to the damage in our lives, that we overlook and downplay the role we played in our own sufferings. God told you to leave that man alone, but you kept going back. God told you to wait, but you just had to have it now. We've all been there, but there comes a point when you will have to admit to yourself and the Lord, that you played a big part in your destruction.

But God doesn't want us to feel bad about our sins, He just wants us to take accountability and let it go, because when we confess, we release, and then we can move forward with Gods promises. Just like Nehemiah did in Chapter 1:8-9; Nehemiah said, "Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’"

God's word will never return void (Isaiah 55:11), therefore, if He said it, we can stand on it. He has given us authority and power to speak His word and expect it to come to pass. I believe this is why Nehemiah was able to have the confidence to say, "Oh Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayer of those who delight in honoring You! (Neh. 1:11)." Not only did he confess, but he repositioned and re-committed himself to the Lord. He said, "Lord, I know I didn't listen when I was supposed to, and now there is damage because of it, but I rededicate my life to serving you. YOU said, if I return to your commands, you will bring me back to a place you have chosen. So, Lord, please help me!" And that was the beginning of rebuilding.

When Nehemiah finally stood face to face with the wall, the first thing he had to do was secretly examine it. Even the hard-to-reach places. Then, after he had a clear enough picture of the damage, he was able to speak about it. He was able to announce the painful reality of what he examined about the damage to those who God had equipped to help, because he was never meant to rebuild alone. Although he arrived in Jerusalem alone (minus the army and horsemen sent for protection), God had already positioned a team of help from all over who were waiting and willing to assist him.

It is important that you do not attempt to rebuild alone. First seek God for His assistance and pray that He will surround you with a community of people who will help you get through the ruins. Because, rebuilding is just half the battle. Trust and believe you will face opposition, which may sometimes arise from the most unexpected places. We even see in this passage, how throughout the entire duration of rebuilding, Nehemiah and the laborers were threatened, mocked, harassed, and laughed at. The enemy attempted to manipulate, intimidate, destroy, and discredit Nehemiah on multiple occasions, but the enemy never won.

When you are rebuilding, there will be opposition, because the enemy doesn't want to see you whole. As long as you have gaps, cracks, and damage, the enemy knows it's harder for you to stand. But once you begin rebuilding, Honey, the enemy gets upset because he can no longer sneak in like he used to. It becomes harder to manipulate you. It becomes harder to lure you into places you don't want to be. It becomes harder to tear you down. And just like when the enemies heard the wall was rebuilt in Chapter 6, your enemies will become scared and humiliated because they realize the work has been done with the help of God (Neh 6:16), and now they don't even know how to approach you.

This passage is powerful when it comes to rebuilding as a woman. Read Nehemiah 1-6 and share in the comments about how it spoke to you today.