阅读经文 

神的子民被掳，溃不成军，过了一段漫长的日子之后，他们终于得到允准回去重建耶和华的殿和耶路撒冷城。（参代下 36）尼希米带领百姓重建城墙，可是他们却受到邻近的撒玛利亚人的多方阻挠。

参巴拉和当地其他的领袖们阻挠尼希米和犹大人（现在也被称为犹太人）的工程，嗤笑和嘲弄他们。为了阻止犹大人重建的工程，他们威吓要发动攻击和扰乱。

在这样的环境下，尼希米和百姓祈求神的帮助，“又因他们的缘故，就派人看守，昼夜防备。”（参尼 4:9）百姓们都怀着警戒的心，齐心努力工作；结果他们只用了五十二天的时间，便把城墙修好了！（参尼 6:15）

我们可以从这件事学到一些功课。我们可以向神祈求：“神啊，求祢保护我们脱离威吓和危险，天天赐我们力量殷勤作工，又帮助我们在所作的一切事上尊荣祢。”还有，晚上睡觉之前，锁好门户也是重要的啊。

我们时刻都需要神的帮助和保护。我们的“仇敌魔鬼，如同吼叫的狮子，遍地游行，寻找可吞吃的人”。（参彼前 5:8）所以我们要一面祷告一面工作，天天都倚靠神。

After a long period of exile and destruction from conquering armies, God's people were allowed to rebuild the temple of the Lord and the city of Jerusalem.(see 2 Chronicles 36) Nehemiah led the people in rebuilding the wall, but they faced a lot of opposition from their neighbors in Samaria.

Sanballat and other local leaders opposed Nehemiah and the people of Judah (now also called the Jews), ridiculing and scoffing at them. They threatened to fight and stir up trouble to prevent the Jews from rebuilding.

In the midst of all this, Nehemiah and the people prayed to God for help and "posted a guard day and night to meet this threat." The people were vigilant and worked hard together, and they finished the wall in just 52 days!(Nehemiah 6:15)

We can learn from this example. We can pray, "O God, please protect us from threats and dangers, and give us strength for our work each day. Help us to serve you in all that we do." And before we go to bed at night, it's also important to lock our doors.

We always need God's help and protection. Our "enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour".(1 Peter 5:8) So we pray and work, depending on God every day.