Build Something…for Jesus
So I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build….” Nehemiah 2:20 NKJV
We’ve just arranged to have a wooden table hauled away to a thrift store. It was part our son’s former model train hobby, but he has boxed up his trains for the long term. We don’t have a use for the tabletop, and it’s taking up space.
Normally, I’m delighted to get rid of unused clutter. But there’s a little sadness in saying good-bye to this rough-sawn table…my late dad built it out of love for his grandson.
Our family has a build-it-yourself heritage from generations of carpenters, going back to my great-grandfather and probably before. Our homes have been blessed with their craftsmanship—a cedar chest, a doll bed, a picnic table, wind chimes, a bluebird house, a storage shed, a pergola, and more.
There’s a wonderful feeling of accomplishment when you build something. The process is a combination of handiwork and artwork, whether it’s assembling a dollhouse or a skyscraper, a model plane or a Boeing 777. It represents the completion of a task, something tangible to be admired and used.
Perhaps that’s why Nehemiah’s story in the Bible still resonates with us today. It represents an entire nation rebuilding their family home.
When God released His people from their captivity at Babylon, the nation of Israel returned in stages and found Jerusalem in ruins. Under priest Ezra’s leadership, the returning captives’ first duty was to slowly reconstruct the house of worship, known as the Second Temple.
But the wall around the city center was still in shambles. Nehemiah, an Israelite who had become a trusted official for the king in Babylon, heard about the situation and petitioned the king to let him return to Jerusalem. God issued a call to Nehemiah’s heart to complete a specific job—reassembling the entire wall and burned-down gates. It was a daunting task, with challenges from outside enemies.
Our Lord used Nehemiah’s leadership experience to make him an effective construction supervisor. Nehemiah assigned teams of families to work together on each section of the wall and gates. Individuals within the teams carried masonry tools with one hand and held a weapon in the other.
Their work was impressive. Despite threats, the entire job was completed in less than two months. They celebrated their workmanship with a feast, to honor God and His commandments.
Nehemiah’s story teaches us good lessons about building.
First, he prayed. Nehemiah went to God in humility and repentance, expressing sorrow for the misdeeds of the Israelites that led them to their captivity. He asked for mercy and for the work to prosper.
Then, before starting, Nehemiah surveyed the situation, doing some hands-on private research to pull his thoughts together, probably assessing the labor and materials needed.
Nehemiah knew he couldn’t work alone. This was a big task, and he’d need a strong army of workers to make it happen. As an effective leader, he recruited families to work together and encouraged them through the process. He resisted the naysayers and continued to motivate his teams to ignore the negative comments.
Finally, Nehemiah persevered in the power of God. He never threw in the towel but kept himself and the workers going, finishing the project in record time. And, he called everyone to celebrate their accomplishments together, in a feast that would refresh them and honor God’s help.
It all began with Nehemiah’s prayer and his focus on the Lord. We can do the same when we face big, almost insurmountable undertakings. We need to pray, asking for guidance and provision from the Holy Spirit. We need to keep the goal in sight and persevere when verbal attacks discourage us. We need to celebrate when all is done. And, we need to do everything for Jesus.
Friend, whatever job you face at work or at home today, ask the Lord to open or close doors to make His will evident. He will sustain you in hard moments, and He will prosper your plans according to His purposes. Approach Him in humility and in assurance of His good plans for you.
I can let go of the table my dad built because it will go to good use in someone else’s home, and I have other projects he created for me. But his biggest legacy to me has been passing along his love of creating things.
As my dad did, let’s use the talents and resources God has given us to build something…for Christ’s glory!
Lord, Author of all Creation, thank You for blessing us with the beauty and functionality of the planet home You have given us. Thank You for giving us Your same joy as we create things here. May all our work be a delight to You, and may we do everything for Your glory. Give us Your purpose, power, and provisions to finish Your projects and build up others for Your kingdom. In Jesus’ blessed name, Amen.
Nancy C. Williams is a Christian wife/mom with a writing career spanning more than 40 years in business and journalism. Williams is the author of the novel To Love a Falcon and the devotional book A Crocus in the Desert: Devotions, Stories, and Prayers for Women Experiencing Infertility. Her blogs are featured on Crossmap.com and AriseDaily. To follow Nancy’s posts and news, go to her home page at NancyCWilliams.com and subscribe at the bottom.
© Copyright 2026 Nancy C. Williams (text and photography). Unless otherwise noted, Scripture verses are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. #buildingblocks #masonry #wall #Jerusalem #leadership #craftsmanship #carpentry #construction
