Nehemiah 1-2

"If you return to Me ... though [you] were in the remote part of the heavens, I will gather [you] from there" (1:8-9). Nehemiah, Jewish cup-bearer to King Artaxerxes, was heart-broken that Jerusalem was still in ruins. In prayer, he remembered God's promise that He would rescue His people if they repented. Nehemiah was also very practical. With the king's permission, he returned to Jerusalem and immediately began inspecting the ruins (v11-16).

Like Ezra, Nehemiah took God at His word. He believed that God would welcome the prodigals home and give them a new start.