Nehemiah 4

"Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble, even the burned ones?" (v2). It was terrible to see the ruins of once-beautiful Jerusalem, but the Jews also had to hear their efforts to rebuild mocked by their enemies. A huge work lay before them: rebuilding Jerusalem's walls and Temple. They fought their own discouragement, and they also faced real threats from their arrogant enemies (7-8). Nehemiah organized the people to keep working, because "our God will fight for us" (v20).

The Jews carried swords while they worked, but their strongest weapon was spiritual: faith in the God who never fails.