The walls of Jerusalem were in ruins. More than a hundred years after the capture of the city by Nebuchadnezzar, Nehemiah received from the king of Persia an appointment as governor of Judea. With trust in God, he began the work of rebuilding the walls so that Jerusalem might again be a fortified city.
The record of progress toward this achievement appears in these simple words in the fourth chapter of Nehemiah: "So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work." San-ballat, Tobiah, and various Arabians, Ammonites, and Ashdodites conspired to stop the work. Wrote Nehemiah, "Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God." Thus he acknowledged two necessary ingredients in the success of his work: "Our prayer unto our God," and, "The people had a mind to work."
The project was a big one. The enemy was active, but the people had a certain sense of spiritual appreciation for what they were doing. With fervent devotion, they were serving a holy cause. They were rebuilding the walls of the sacred city, which, according to Christian Science, is a symbol of spiritual home and heaven.
