After Nehemiah talked about what he’d done, in addition to praying, for four months, I decided that it was time to share an essay I wrote about Nehemiah’s plan. I call it, “Nehemiah’s five-step plan to rebuild a destroyed city by asking a foreign king to give you all the supplies you need.” Or that’s what I wanted to call it. Nehemiah said that was too long.

So now I call it, “Five steps to God-shaped plans.” Nehemiah still calls it “my life.”

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“The city is in ruins and the gates are burned.”

Nehemiah lived in Susa, a city in Persia, in modern Iran.

Nehemiah’s brother came 900 miles from Jerusalem to visit. When Nehemiah asked how things were back in their home country, his brother said that Jerusalem was in ruins and the gates were burned. (1:3)  When Nehemiah’s boss, King Artaxerxes, asked him why he’s so sad, Nehemiah said that the city of his ancestors was ruined and the gates were burned. (2:3) When Nehemiah got to Jerusalem to begin his work, he did a late night tour to see that the walls were ruined and the gates were burned. (2:13) When Nehemiah finally talked to the leaders in Jerusalem about the work in front of them, he said “the city is ruined and the gates are burned.”(2:17)

Four times in the first two chapters. Every time Nehemiah has to explain the problem, it’s very simple: the city is ruined and the gates are burned.

So what’s the point? It’s the first point of Nehemiah’s great work.

1. Nehemiah had a clear picture of what was wrong.

He was able to summarize the problem for himself, and for others, in vivid, factual, brief words.

As you are thinking of a problem, or a calling in front of you, what’s your clear simple summary of what is wrong.

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Reflecting on Nehemiah 2. Taken from A Great Work: A Conversation with Nehemiah for People (Who Want to Be) Doing Great Works.