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In our Bible study group this week, Mary Ella Wilson noticed something in chapter three of Nehemiah that I completely missed. It was one of those quiet insights that makes you stop and think.

She pointed out Nehemiah 3:26, where it says:

“and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower.” (NIV)

What stood out to her—and now to me—is that they made repairs up to the Water Gate, but not the gate itself. Unlike the other gates that are mentioned with repairs and rebuilding, this one seems untouched. There’s no note about reconstruction, no mention of restoration—just a reference point.

Mary Ella made a beautiful connection. The Water Gate is often seen as a symbol of the Word of God, especially in light of Nehemiah 8, where Ezra stands at this very gate and reads the Law aloud to the people.

And maybe—just maybe—the reason the Water Gate didn’t need repairing is because God’s Word doesn’t break down. It doesn’t crumble. It doesn’t fail. While everything else around it may fall apart, the Word of God remains firm.

As Psalm 119:89 reminds us:

“Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.” (NIV)

That’s not just poetic—it’s foundational.

The Word of God doesn’t need to be rebuilt—it needs to be returned to.

Corrie Ten Boom once said, “In darkness God’s truth shines most clear.” That truth doesn’t need patching up or polishing—it’s steady when life isn’t.

Think about the storm in Matthew 7—the one Jesus described when teaching about the wise and foolish builders. The house built on the rock stood strong because it was founded on the Word. Not on feelings. Not on culture. Not on comfort. But on truth.

Each gate in Nehemiah 3 tells part of the story. Together, they reflect the depth and beauty of God’s plan to restore us—pointing to Christ, our sacrifice, our sanctification, our witness, our perseverance. The Water Gate simply stands out as a quiet anchor in the middle of it all—a reminder that the Word holding it all together doesn’t need repair.

And that’s something to stand on.