The Nehemiah 52 Day Challenge: Rebuilding Your Wall of Health

By Maureen Greer

The Nehemiah 52 Day Challenge: Rebuilding Your Wall of Health connects the actions of the God-fearing man, Nehemiah, to the physical, mental, and spiritual health of believers using the Book of Nehemiah. As it works through this book four different times during the 52 days, it challenges the reader to implement the spiritual actions which the book describes along with day-to-day lifestyle habits which will help to “rebuild the Wall of Health” of everyone in many different aspects of their lives. The book not only addresses issues pertaining to the body, but it also encourages the reader to consider other areas of their lives where their “walls” are weak as they allow toxins to intrude into their brains, bodies, and beliefs. It also brings to light the problem of their “wall” becoming too “impenetrable” in unhealthy ways such as in refusing relationships, failing to admit responsibility and weaknesses, refusal to receive instruction, or in disconnecting from others in unhealthy ways. In addition, the topics of trauma, oppression, greed, relationships, sleep, depression, anxiety, mood, anger, water, behavior, learning, nourishment, environmental inputs, digestion, brain health, the gut brain connection, exercise, and work ethic, plus much more are addressed. The book consists of 52 action steps based on connections made from the Book of Nehemiah to the health and behavior of all individuals.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 24, 2024
• ISBN: 9798823021517

Maureen Greer

Maureen Greer, married for 25 years and mother of six children, is a teacher and nurse. She is a graduate of Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Iowa and works with veterans and others who need nursing care as well as those seeking to improve their health through education, nourishing decisions, and habits. She holds a Bachelor of Music and Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Iowa, Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Practitioner certification from the Functional Nutrition Lab, Health Coaching Certification from the Health Coach Institute, and Cognitive Therapy certification from the Equipping Minds Cognitive Therapy Program. Her background and pursuit to learn from God through His Word have caused her to step out to encourage others as they rebuild their “Wall of Health.” When her sixth child was born with Down syndrome, she continued researching the brain and body connection and the impact that diet and lifestyle have on the development of the whole person and in optimizing brain, physical, and spiritual health. Her pursuit to optimize the best cognition and health of her daughter and the rest of her children led her to the area of functional nutrition/medicine and neuroplasticity. She is passionately diligent to help all people, including children, gain a better brain, body, and belief using Scripture and sound health guidance. Her goal is to help others realize that God has a purpose for their lives which she also addresses in her first book, Health Through the Psalms: To Do God’s Will. She desires that others would realize with her that the ultimate goal of health is to do God’s will. In her spare time, she enjoys composing music based on Scripture and resting in Him.

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© 2023 Maureen Greer. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  03/22/2024

ISBN: 979-8-8230-2150-0 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-8230-2149-4 (hc)

ISBN: 979-8-8230-2151-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2024902111

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The information, ideas, and suggestions in this book are not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. Before following any suggestions contained in this book, you should consult your personal physician. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising as a consequence of your use or application of any information or suggestions in this book.

CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

Round 1

Nehemiah 1The Law of the Lord—Psalm 1

Nehemiah 2Sleep and Rest: God’s Will for You

Nehemiah 3The Little Matters Next to Really Matter

Nehemiah 4Move to Repair

Nehemiah 5Clear the Clutter

Nehemiah 6Conscious Wholeness—The Real Food

Nehemiah 7The Big Three

Nehemiah 8Chewing on the Word and Real Food

Nehemiah 9Wells of Water Prepared

Nehemiah 10Separations and Connections

Nehemiah 11The King’s Order to Breathe

Nehemiah 12Rejoicing Heard from Afar

Nehemiah 13Bitterness to Benefit Belief

Round 2

Nehemiah 14The Sin That Calls Your Name

Nehemiah 15Silent Sadness

Nehemiah 16Guard the Gates

Nehemiah 17Mental Preparation for the Inevitable: Rehearse to Resist

Nehemiah 18Outcry against Self, Not Others

Nehemiah 19Separation So We Won’t Stop

Nehemiah 20Impressive Integrity

Nehemiah 21Genuine Grief and Mindful Mourning

Nehemiah 22Confessions 22

Nehemiah 23Separation on the Sabbath

Nehemiah 24Your Lot in Life: The Attitude of Acceptance

Nehemiah 25Gratitude Journal

Nehemiah 26Disheartenment without Damage

Round 3

Nehemiah 27Fasting, a Friend

Nehemiah 28Managing the Mechanism of Melatonin

Nehemiah 29Dung Matters

Nehemiah 30Anger and Annoyance: Are They Really Little Faux Pas?

Nehemiah 31Confrontation to Calm

Nehemiah 32Lord, Strengthen My Hands

Nehemiah 33Guard the Gluten Gate

Nehemiah 34Truth about Trauma

Nehemiah 35God’s Faithfulness

Nehemiah 36Every Seventh Refrain to Rest

Nehemiah 37Volunteering with Vigor

Nehemiah 38Gratitude to Him Who Gave Us Our Day

Nehemiah 39Spiritual Peace—the Antidote for the Amygdala

Round 4

Nehemiah 40A Better Boss

Nehemiah 41A Vitamin for Vitality

Nehemiah 42A Gateway of Encouragement

Nehemiah 43Guards Got Your Back

Nehemiah 44Outburst Out of Oppression

Nehemiah 45Opposition for a Mindset of Maintenance

Nehemiah 46Dare to Deal with Dairy

Nehemiah 47Do Not Grieve

Nehemiah 48Now You Know; Do Not Disregard

Nehemiah 49Promise to Care for the Temple with Responsibility

Nehemiah 50Lead Others to the Jubilee with Non-Negotiables

Nehemiah 51Heard from Afar Again

Nehemiah 52Committed and Consistent Effort

Conclusion: Your First Love

Appendix: Connections and Action Steps

To all who desire to rebuild their walls of health,

to those who are helping them,

and to my faithful pastors, who teach me to

never despise the small things.

PREFACE

The intention of this manuscript is to awaken all people and especially Christians to the fact that our health is our responsibility and that we have great power to affect it. Because our health affects our lives, it is relevant and necessary that we take action to monitor our health conditions before they control us in a negative way. Not only this, but our health affects others. It affects our mindset and the mindset of others. It affects our opportunities and the opportunities of others. It affects our efforts and accomplishments, as well as the efforts and accomplishments of others. In other words, to pursue your own personal health is to pursue the health of others, not just physical health but mental health and spiritual health also. It is a godly goal to be healthy; it is a spiritual goal to be healthy; it is an act of love to be healthy.

Health is the whole and connections of your entire person. It is the culmination of the interactions between your brain, body, and beliefs. This interaction is affected by the health of its individual parts. In other words, if your brain is not healthy, your body is not healthy. If your body is not healthy, your brain is not healthy. If your beliefs (not just religious beliefs but all thoughts you come to believe) are not healthy, the core of your whole person is not healthy, and this affects your entire condition.

Furthermore, our health is constantly under attack. It is in a continuous cycle of damage and repair, but with gratitude, we can be assured that God created us to respond to this challenge. He made our brains so that we could learn. He made our bodies so that they would heal. He made our spirits and minds so that we could believe the truth and be made whole. In other words, He made us in such a way that we respond to what confronts us, to what we experience, and to the environment we allow to surround us. This response, however, while sometimes automatic and a reflex, can be a choice that we have the power to influence.

In addition, because our health is the sum total of all of the individual parts, we affect each other. If someone in our families is not healthy, we have a health challenge, either in the form of our physical health or emotional and spiritual health; it could be in the form of financial health or organizational health; it could be in the form of our relationship health. No matter what form the health challenge is or who has it, we all are affected, either by how it impacts us to change or impacts us to act. Either way, we will respond to it.

Our Lord made it possible for us to be set free from bondage. It does not matter if this bondage is in our brains, our bodies, or our beliefs. He is able to direct all of us to the choices we could make that would help our lives to reflect the hope we have. This does not mean we will live forever; it does not mean that we will not have hardship; it does not mean that we will have an easy time. It means that while we live and breathe on this earth, we are able to live so that our lives contribute to the great work that He has for us to do. In other words, while we are alive, we are to be living to the most optimum extent possible, the extent that God has for us. This does not mean that we will all be healthy all of the time, but it does mean that we should expect to do a great work for Him and that we should not stop the great work that we are doing.

Please be encouraged to rebuild whatever needs to be rebuilt in your life. In this book, I use the metaphor of the wall of Jerusalem to describe our own personal walls of health. These walls could take many different forms, such as an emotional wall, a wall of forgiveness, a wall of understanding, a wall of compassion, a wall of gratitude, a wall of volunteering, a wall of acceptance, and many other different descriptors. In essence, our walls of health are composed of many different factors, or walls, that affect them. We cannot ignore any of these. Nehemiah addressed and directed many different types of repairs for the wall of Jerusalem. Within the wall were other repairs that took additional time and attention. It is the same for us.

Our health is not about one aspect. It is about many facets and interactions of our entire beings. While we might appear to be emotionally healthy, we could have severe physical ill health. While we might appear to be physically healthy, our emotional states and the state of our hearts could be severely in danger. While we might appear to be spiritually healthy, our bodies could be dying inside without our knowing it or without our attention to do what is in our power to minimize the damage and to heal. While we might appear to be just fine and be able to put on a good front as we go to church and Bible study and as we visit our doctors and view normal lab results, our inner beings could be extremely lonely, disconnected, and starving for the health that love offers us.

Dear reader, please join me in learning and understanding the many different actions that Nehemiah instituted in the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem and discover how his example could afford you improved health, the health of wholeness that comes from realizing, receiving, and responding to what God shows you for your individual repair. Your wall might be in shambles; it might be demolished from hurts and personal concerns; it might be attacked from others; it might be in need of maintenance. No matter what your personal wall of health needs, be assured that God is your general contractor for this; He is the one who grants you success. He is the high King who gives the orders to command you to continue this great work. Finally, He is the one who will strengthen your hands as He remembers you with favor.

Seek peace and pursue it, my friends. Be blameless as you pursue your wall building, and remember to fight for what is yours or could be yours. It will cause great rejoicing, as your health will improve and not just health for you but health and wholeness for and to others—your family, your church, and the entire world.

INTRODUCTION

I absolutely love the book of Nehemiah. Several years ago, my pastor did a series of about twelve sermons on this book. It was phenomenal and spoke to me in a real and new way. I could not believe that I had lived my life without much knowledge of the book of Nehemiah, not to mention the exuberance for it. In fact, the sermons on the book of Nehemiah inspired me to ask four other musical friends to form a worship group to help others be motivated about the things of the Lord. We call ourselves Nehemiah V and sing songs that honor God and encourage others.

And now, here I am, several years later, still inspired and motivated by Nehemiah. If I had to sum up the book in one statement, I would put it this way:

Nehemiah was a man zealous for God, and although he was in captivity, he managed to get the wall of Jerusalem, which had been in ruins for centuries, rebuilt in only fifty-two days, with full support of the king, who held the Jews in captivity.

I could say so much more, such as,

Nehemiah stood up against opposition. He did this without saying much to anyone until the right time. He was extremely sad about this situation, so sad, in fact, that he compromised his life by showing a downcast countenance while in the king’s presence. He got the Jews excited about the Law of the Lord again, as well as to repent of sins and manners of living that were against God’s law. On top of this, he managed to coordinate the tremendous effort to get this wall rebuilt, with workers clearing up rubble and proceeding to work with a tool in one hand and a weapon of defense in the other. He inspired them to work with all their hearts. Yes, this would be quite a bit of opposition, not to mention threatening circumstances. Furthermore, he continued his efforts to clean up the temple and restore it to the level of holy regard that God ordained, as well as to confront the Jews on their sinful behavior and the choices they made and continued to make. He did this all with vigor, with no apology for the zeal he had for his God, and in such an unabashed manner that I feel challenged to get with the program to rebuild God’s wall—never forgetting the commandment to love, of course.

And what about this? So many workers were dedicated to following his lead that it mentions over and over again that such an individual would work next to and then again next to again and again. This shows quite a lot of detailed workmanship done on the wall, including work done on the different sides, as well as the different gates. It was a tremendous overhaul of a dire situation due to this one man of God being more zealous for his Lord than for his own comfort. I absolutely continue to be inspired. In addition, the people’s behavior and obedience to God’s commands became healthier. Everyone’s lives were improved, both on an individual level and as a whole.

What does Nehemiah and the wall of Jerusalem have to do with health? Here it is again, my friends—the relevance of scripture to support and enlighten us, for every aspect of our lives is as important as the need for breathing. Let me use this analogy: In ancient times, every city had a wall for defense and protection. This was the typical situation of the culture and time period, one where all enemies knew they had to penetrate the wall of a city in order to attack and conquer the inhabitants. Sometimes, the attackers were able to keep the inhabitants within the wall, thereby causing them to give themselves up due to starvation or no water. The wall of Jerusalem was no different. It was a wall of defense.

We all would agree that it is a safe life principle to have walls of defense. We have locks on the doors of our houses and cars. We have passwords for all accounts and for our technological devices. We have spyware protection on our computers. We have filters in our homes, on our air systems and our car systems, as well as on our television or movie subscriptions. We have boundaries everywhere we look, and we know we need these boundaries for guidance and for protection, both from and for ourselves and from and for others. We all push our boundaries, our guidelines, or the laws of our culture, but we all agree these boundaries and guidelines are necessary and that they help maintain order and safety.

But what about our health? What walls of protection have we actively built to protect the health of our brains, bodies, and beliefs? We might think we are living inside a wall of defense, but in actuality, we have walls that lie in ruins, and we do not even know it, let alone understand the damage that is being done due to the holes we have allowed—holes that can be repaired. How we need to wake up! Let me inspire you to get your wall of defense up, to build or rebuild your wall. Let me inspire you to take the next fifty-two days to build your wall up, to fill in the gaps, and to repair what is necessary. Will we do this in its entirety or perfectly? Of course not. We can only begin the endeavor and leave it to God to complete the work that He has begun in all of us, and He will be faithful to complete this work.

How will this procedure occur, this building or rebuilding or repair of your wall of health? It will look like this: During the next fifty-two days, we will use each chapter of the book of Nehemiah to gain biblical insight and apply it to our lives. Also, during each of the next fifty-two days, I will give you an action step to take that is intended to strengthen or repair your wall of health. Each action step will be a benefit to address a component of health concerning your brain, body, or beliefs. I will challenge you to do the first thirteen action steps that I give you every day for all fifty-two days. You, however, will be given a new action step on each of the fifty-two days, without eliminating the first thirteen and with realizing the importance of the first thirteen action steps. These will total to fifty-two action steps to help improve your health in your brain, body, and beliefs. These action steps will lead to possible improvements in relationships, in house organization, in healthy choices, in management of important aspects of your life, in your time commitments and scheduling, and in many other areas.

Because I would overwhelm you if I demanded that you do all fifty-two action steps daily (as I also would be overwhelmed), I encourage you to do only the first thirteen action steps every day for the first thirteen days. After these thirteen days, you should continue to do them, but then I will give you a new and different action step in addition to these thirteen to do on the subsequent days. You can do as many as you want, but always do the first thirteen because these are extremely important. Incorporating all fifty-two action steps would be quite daunting, but because of their importance, they are a guide for you to implement over time. This guide will serve you in establishing the healthy habits that we all would be wise to incorporate into our lives.

Are you up for the challenge? I hope so! I can’t wait to start. I can’t wait for you to be inspired by Nehemiah for the building of your wall of health. I look forward to starting with you. Tomorrow is day 1. See you then. Bye-bye!

THE NEHEMIAH

52 DAY CHALLENGE

REBUILDING YOUR

WALL OF HEALTH

ROUND 1

DAY 1

NEHEMIAH CHAPTER 1

THE LAW OF THE LORD—PSALM 1

Nehemiah’s Example: Our Law of Health and Wholeness

Welcome to Day 1 of the Nehemiah Fifty-Two–Day Challenge to repair and build your wall of health. I hope you were inspired by the introduction to Nehemiah yesterday and are able to see that while this is a process that requires a commitment, each little detail you implement into your life matters. Do not feel overwhelmed or afraid, but instead, continue to walk in the strength of the Lord here and with an undaunted and humble attitude.

Today, we will look at the first chapter of Nehemiah and Psalm 1 as a foundation for what we will address in our next fifty-two days together. Before we begin, I want to point out a couple of things that are important for you to notice about Nehemiah. First of all, he had a prominent position. He was cupbearer to the king. He was interested in the things of God and was diligent to investigate the condition of Jerusalem. He wept when he discovered that the wall of Jerusalem lay in ruins, so he proceeded to fast and pray. What a wonderful and wise first step—he fasted and prayed. How often do we fast and pray about anything? In all honesty, I usually lament or complain about many things before I pray about them, and as for fasting—well, I try to live a fasted life, but true fasting is a real challenge for me. I’m just being honest here.

Nehemiah did not claim righteousness or anything due him other than the promises of God. He admitted the sins of Israel, yet he reminded God that He had promised to gather His people together again and bring them to the place chosen for them, even though they were in exile. Nehemiah knew it was God’s mercy and grace, His forgiveness and redemption, that were his hope. He was a man of integrity and faith. Furthermore, he pleaded with God to be attentive to his prayer and to grant him success. Truly, he surrendered all to the Lord and waited for Him. Let’s take this example and live it daily.

Let’s read Nehemiah 1 together. Here we go with the NIV translation:

1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa.

2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

3 They said to me, Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.

4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

5 Then I said, "Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments.

6 Let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you.

7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

8 Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations,

9 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."

10 "They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand.

11 Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man." I was cupbearer to the king.

As I’ve mentioned, Nehemiah was consumed with his God. He understood the value of the wall of Jerusalem. The fact that the wall and its gates were broken down and burned was devastating to him. What did he do? He prayed and fasted. He looked to the God of heaven, confessed the sins of his people, and reminded his Lord of what had been promised long ago. We are able to have this same mindset. We can mourn for what is broken but also look to the God of heaven and remind Him of what He has promised. He has promised to be with the brokenhearted. He has promised to restore and redeem. He has promised to comfort and heal and bind up wounds. He has promised to increase the strength of the weary and renew the hope of the weak. Like Nehemiah, however, be ready to confess your sins and the sins of your family. Be ready to look to God. Be ready to pray and receive.

We can choose to do all this. We can mourn for what is broken and then look to God, but before we do, let me challenge you. Are you consumed with the God of heaven? Are you more concerned with His glory than with your comfort or your reputation? Remember that Nehemiah was cupbearer to the king. He was not in his homeland. None of us would like this type of situation and probably would lament over it. So take this challenge. Realize, receive, and respond to this reminder that the God of heaven is worthy of our complete attention, of our complete vigor to be part of what He restores, of our complete cooperation to admit, accept, and act according to what His thoughts and plans are, not ours.

Look to Him to see which wall needs repair for your ultimate health in your brain, body, and beliefs. Is it your wall of faith? Your wall of forgiveness? Your wall of courage? Your wall of humility, of love, or of servanthood? Is it your wall of hope, of self-control, of fellowship? Is it your wall of giving, of receiving, of grace? Is it your wall of your weight management, your blood sugar regulation, your sleep cycle, your schedule, your exercise routine? Maybe it is your wall of financial stability or your career objectives or other goals. This is between you and God. No one else knows which walls are weak in your life.

In addition, let me remind you that your wall is not just to keep corruption out of your brain, body, and beliefs. Your wall is also an example to others of how you choose to live to glorify God in everything you do. Some habits and possessions, as well as behaviors and attitudes, are not to be a part of your life. Again, this is between you and God. Furthermore, your wall is not to keep you and the gifts God has given you from others. You must continue to let your life and what you possess be accessible outside your wall of protection so that others will be blessed by your gifts and abilities. God can handle the specifics of this; just let Him do the work.

How do we allow God to do this work? We set our hearts on Him. I can think of no better way to start than with the Law of the Lord, so in our first week, along with Nehemiah 1, we are going to look at Psalm 1, which reminds us of the importance of the Law of the Lord and how blessed the person is who meditates on it day and night.

Here it is. Please read it with me.

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful,

2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law does he meditate day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water whose leaf does not wither, And which yields its fruit in its season and whatever he does shall prosper.

4 The ungodly are not so but are like chaff which the wind drives away.

5 Therefore, the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

There you have it—the ultimate reminder of how important the Law of the Lord is. We need God’s law, His direction, and His Word to guide us. It comes with a promise for those who meditate on it day and night. The promise is this: Whatever he does shall prosper. What a person does, however, is not according to personal desires or will. A person does what the Law of the Lord instructs. The person who meditates on the Law of the Lord is like Nehemiah. This person is consumed with the thoughts and intentions of God, not his or her own. This person doesn’t grieve the Holy Spirit but instead is grieved (like Nehemiah) when the Lord is not honored, when the Lord is not regarded as holy, and when the Lord’s work is damaged.

Shouldn’t this be our mindset and our highest goal—to be consumed with God and His honor? This mindset is what I covet. I seek to establish this as my wall. I don’t know how best to put this into words, but I know that I have weaknesses. I have temptations. I have unhealthy thoughts, habits, and beliefs. I entertain negativity in my brain. I allow toxins in my life—the things I ingest or take in that affect my whole person—and I am forever fighting off lies or deceitful suggestions in my beliefs and brain. I allow words and ideas, as well as the attitudes of others, to affect my health, my wall of defense. I want my wall of protection, my wall of faith, my wall of health, the wall God has for me (my personal wall of Jerusalem) to be built up for His glory. I want to be diligent in obedience to Him, on the path of righteousness that He has for me.

Join me. Join me in admitting, accepting, and acting according to what God shows you. Join me in realizing, receiving, and responding to the Law of the Lord. Be ready to enhance your life for the benefit of everyone for eternity. It starts now.

Connection from Nehemiah:

Nehemiah was healthy as he looked to the God of heaven and was consumed with His holiness.

Connection to Health:

We need God’s Word to be holy and healthy. We must meditate on it day and night.

Here is your action step for day 1 of the Nehemiah Fifty-Two–Day Challenge:

Day 1 Action Step

Read Psalm 1 aloud each day, both morning and night.

This is it. Read Psalm 1 each day, both morning and night. Notice I did not tell you to start exercising or to go to a health food store and spend money on nutritious food. The primary and important action step is to read God’s Word. Yes, read God’s Word. This is your guide for anything and everything. It is your strength and the truth that you need for living a blameless life. By the end of the fifty-two days, you probably will have it memorized. This is good; it will become part of your wall of health.

Let’s pray:

Lord, You are good, and everything You do is good. You are the great and awesome God who keeps Your covenant of love. Be attentive to our cries for mercy. Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the cry of Your servants here who want to revere Your name. Lord, we have sinned by what we have thought, by what we have done with our bodies, and by what we have believed that is not according to Your word. We have sinned by not being faithful to You. We have not obeyed Your commands. We have not delighted ourselves in Your Word. We have not lived in delighting ourselves to do Your will. Lord, we have committed this against You and the temple of the Holy Spirit, which You have given to us. Lord, help us to build up our walls of defense, our walls of love, our walls of faith, and truly our walls to honor You with our lives. Please strengthen us by Your mighty hand and give us success by granting us favor as we admit, accept, and act according to what You show each of us to do. Lord, we realize, receive, and respond right now with a willing heart to do Your will as we look to Your Word, day and night. Thank you, Lord.

DAY 2

NEHEMIAH CHAPTER 2

SLEEP AND REST: GOD’S WILL FOR YOU

Welcome to Day 2 of the Nehemiah Fifty-Two–Day Challenge, where the goal is to rebuild your wall of health for a better brain, body, and belief so that you are able to do God’s will with vigor and cooperation. I hope you remembered to read Psalm 1 this morning; this was your first action step for the challenge. Don’t forget to read it tonight also and as many times as you are able each day. Remember, none of this is medical advice; rather, it is my effort to do good, to seek peace and to pursue it, while giving you specific instruction and encouragement, based on God’s Word and sound health information. Your doctors, therapists, and pastors would all agree that each effort is beneficial for you. It will help to fill the gap between what they are advising you and what you are doing as you live day-to-day.

Today, we will look at chapter 2 of Nehemiah. Before we read it together, I want you to notice a couple of things and to be ready to see some important concepts from the chapter and think about these questions:

Was Nehemiah afraid when he was in the presence of the king? If so, why?

How did the king respond to Nehemiah? Why do you think the king had this response?

How did the king’s wife respond to Nehemiah?

What did Nehemiah do first?

What was Nehemiah’s demeanor?

What opposition did Nehemiah have?

What other individuals did Nehemiah tell about his desire? And when?

How easy was his initial endeavor?

What was Nehemiah’s overall attitude or demeanor throughout this chapter?

Let’s read it now.

Nehemiah Chapter 2

1 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before,

2 So, the king asked me, Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart. I was very much afraid,

3 But I said to the king, May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?

4 The king said to me, What is it you want?. Then I prayed to the God of heaven,

5 And I answered the king, If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.

6 Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, How long will your journey take, and when will you get back? It pleased the king so send me; so I set a time.

7 I also said to him, "If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah?

8 And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?" And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.

9 So, I went to the governor of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letter. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.

10 When Sanballat the Horowitz and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.

11 I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days,

12 I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.

13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and it gates, which had been destroyed by fire.

14 Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through;

15 So, I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate.

16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.

17 Then I said to them, You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.

18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, Let us start rebuilding. So they began this good work.

19 But when Sanballat the Horowitz, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. What is this you are doing? They asked. Are you rebelling against the king?

20 I answered them by saying, The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.

Now let’s think about this. Nehemiah was cupbearer to the king, and he entered the king’s presence with a sad countenance. As my pastor has pointed out, Nehemiah could have been done away with or executed for presenting himself to the king with a facial display like that. The king, however, noticed this and responded with concern by asking him why he had sadness of heart. What an opportunity for honesty! We could assume that Nehemiah had very good standing with the king. Please realize that this good standing was not achieved only by his own effort and faithfulness but by the favor of God’s hand on him. Also realize that this good standing did not come about by protesting against the king about what he believed and what he wanted or by his refusal to cooperate with the captivity which controlled the Jewish people. Nehemiah surely had done his job as cupbearer to the king with respect and in accordance with the required procedures and trustworthiness, despite this not being his choice. Being cupbearer to the king meant one would experience the effects of poison so that the king would not be harmed. This was a serious position—a dangerously serious but important position. Nehemiah accepted it and carried it out faithfully without complaining and without slackness.

Who do you think appointed Nehemiah to this serious position of being cupbearer to the king? Of course, God Himself. What a position for him. Although he was in captivity, he experienced tremendous favor with the top leader, the king himself, so much favor that the king gave him permission to go to the city of his ancestors to rebuild its wall. Not only this, but the king also gave him letters so that he would be provided safe travel for this journey. Do you realize the completely different ends of the spectrum here? On one end, he could have been slain by the king, but here he is on the other end, with the full support of the king to manage a task that would be of no benefit to the king—at least, to his knowledge it would not benefit him.

Nehemiah was not just handled by the king here. Because the wife of the king was sitting next to him, we might conclude that she influenced him when he asked Nehemiah a very wise question: How long will your journey take you? This was certainly important information that would protect both Nehemiah and the king concerning future decisions. It is curious to me that the wife of the king was present and possibly encouraged the progression of this conversation.

Let’s take a step back before moving on. This conversation occurred because the king asked Nehemiah what he wanted. What kind of king asks a servant what he wants? Would this not be strange behavior or a strange relationship? Consider what Nehemiah did first. Nehemiah prayed to the God of heaven before he spoke his request, and then, when he did speak, he spoke with much respect, saying, May the king live forever. Surely this shows the godly demeanor of respecting the leaders that God appoints over us. Here, his demeanor proves to be part of the favor shown not just to Nehemiah but to all of God’s people. Possibly, his demeanor and prayer indicate that he of course dealt with fear, but he had faith in God to step out in courage, despite this relevant fear.

This opportunity afforded to Nehemiah was not without opposition, however. Sanballat and Tobiah definitely opposed and accused him of rebelling against the king. These words could have been part of gossip to incite more trouble for Nehemiah and this project, but Nehemiah kept his focus and was undaunted by their intimidating remarks. Furthermore, Nehemiah said nothing to anyone. He quietly mounted his horse with only a few others to go to Jerusalem to inspect its condition, which, by the way, was no easy task. He had obstacles to overcome here. His mount was not able to fit between certain parts of the route he took, but he kept at it with purpose. Most of the time, we must keep after things with purpose to achieve success. This is another good reminder to hang in there. Diligence is part of the calling of God. Let Nehemiah be your example.

After accomplishing a thorough assessment of the condition of the city and its walls, Nehemiah finally approached his Jewish leaders. He spoke directly. See the trouble we are in. Again, this shows his sobriety and his concern about God’s business. The leaders supported him and agreed to start rebuilding the wall. Immediately, they began the work.

Quietly Build Your Wall

Now it is your turn to immediately begin the work of rebuilding your broken-down city and wall of health. Don’t let obstacles stand in your way. Press on, just as Nehemiah did even though you might have to change directions. It is not necessary to announce to everyone what