The Starting Point
Words of Faith 6-2-26
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2026
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Today, we begin a devotional study in the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah is a powerful book recounting the story of a leader who heard about a great need in Jerusalem and responded to God's call by rebuilding the city's walls so it would be safe.
When did this happen? Most of the people of Israel were taken into exile in Babylon in 586 BC. This was a punishment from God because Israel had worshiped idols, failed to observe the Sabbath of the land, and had been unjust to the poor. All bad stuff.
The exile began with the terrible defeat and devastating destruction of Jerusalem. The fabulous Temple of Solomon was destroyed and looted by the Babylonians, and the city was leveled. Finally, the time of punishment was over, and groups of Jews returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the Temple beginning in about 538 BC, but the City of God remained weak and unprotected. The walls of the city lay in ruin for nearly 100 years. The former glory of Jerusalem was only a story that Nehemiah had heard passed down. Nehemiah was a cupbearer for the King in Babylon, well assimilated into that culture, but he listened to God and obeyed.
The story of Nehemiah provides a historical metaphor for how God works to rebuild strength from ruins. The applications are true today for a nation, a city, a church, a family, or a life. When we face “trouble and disgrace,” this is never the end of the story that God is writing.

Nehemiah 1
[1] The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: 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 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.

How should we respond when we hear of a great need among the people of God? What do we do when we hear of devastation in another part of the world among Believers? What is our response when we hear of "great trouble and disgrace" in a nation we love, or that the walls of protection have been broken down?

The easiest thing is just to change the channel. In a world of media bombardment, the easiest course is simply to shelter ourselves from some of the desperate messages. After all, we can’t respond to everything. But this was not Nehemiah's response.

When Nehemiah heard about the plight of his fellow Jews in Jerusalem, it deeply touched his heart. He had heard of the once-great City of God, which now lay in ruin, with broken walls. Thinking of such a city with no defense against intruders, it was clearly an easy prey for any enemy. When he heard these things, Nehemiah sat down and wept.

All his life, Nehemiah had heard about the splendor of Solomon's Temple and the hope among Jewish people that the glory of those days would return and the Temple would be rebuilt. But now Nehemiah came to the realization that things were not as many had dreamed they could be. His response was mourning, fasting, and prayer.

There are times when we hear about people's suffering, and we can do nothing but weep in response. There are other times when we realize that things are just not as we had dreamed they should be, and the walls that once protected our family are broken down. We may wake up and discover that our family is "great trouble and disgrace."

We may find that our city or nation is in "great trouble and disgrace." We may even find that the church we love is in peril. We have a few choices. Denial works only for a little while. We can also try blaming or complaining. But in Nehemiah, we see a Godly response—grief that faces devastation, fasting that sensitizes the spirit to the voice of God, and prayer. Nehemiah did not make a plan, recruit a team, or mount a campaign. He got on his knees and prayed.

The truth is that this is the beginning point for any renewal, rebuild, revival, or regeneration. We must recognize the present trouble and disgrace in a way that moves us to mourn. Today, there are many regions of the world and issues within America and the church itself that could only be characterized as trouble and disgrace. We live in a world where pornography is rampant yet taken lightly, churches are bombed, Believers are burned, persecution is ignored, abortion is celebrated, humans are trafficked, and children are often neglected or abused. And all the while, prayer is either scoffed at or banned outright.

As you look around your world today— your neighborhood, your workplace, your campus, your base, your mission, your church, your family, your city, or your nation— is there trouble and disgrace? Are the people of God defenseless? Are the walls broken down? Are the gates that once welcomed people to safety charred black? If so, then the beginning of revival starts when we grieve, fast, and pray. That is the starting point.

Lord God, forgive me for being insensitive to the world around me. I have been blind to the erosion of the walls that once protected families, even nations, and the church. I bring to You my prayer of seeking. Touch my heart today for my world. In Jesus name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2025
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2025 Jeffrey D. Hoy.