God Holds The Rook Card

Ezra 6:7-8 -  Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.  Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God: The expenses of these men are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop.

 

King Darius had done the research… and he saw with his own eyes the serious command of King Cyrus.  So he wrote a letter right back to the people who tried to halt the building of the Temple…to let them know that the Israelite’s story was true.  The records he found tucked safely away in the protected vaults of Babylon...even specified the size the Temple was to be…and the building material they were to use.

 

I can just see the twisted faces of the enemy as they were read the message from the king….that not only told them to leave the Israelites alone…but to help them.  They were to pay for the materials…and provide animals for sacrifices. The king even placed a curse on anyone who went against his decision.

 

I am reminded by this story that God’s will is supreme.  God’s will trumps all authorities….all nations….every evil that we can conceive.  Anything that has and will happen will be allowed only if it can be used to bring about the perfect will of God in the end.

 

Many other Bible characters recognized the sovereignty of God.  Job admitted to God in a fervent prayer of grief and pain in Job 42:2 ….   “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”  And Paul wrote to the struggling church at Ephesus in Ephesians 1:11-12…. “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.”

 

God is sovereign and holy and greater than any other thing or creature that exists. God is in complete control of every good and every tragic thing that happens in our life. Revelation reveals the ending folks…satan loses cause God holds the Rook card…and he will play it when he has already decided that it will bring about the most glory to his father.  

 

Father…thank you for reminding me once again that you have complete control of everything that happens in this world you have allowed me to live. Forgive me for the times I fail to remember your sovereignty….and let the world trick me into doing the wrong thing…because it seems easier…or more politically correct.  Help me this day to stand strong until I get that letter from the humans you have allowed to run your world for a short time….that they found in your great word…and realized that you are the one God who can help and correct the mistakes of the past. Use me to spread the great message of hope and love to all around me…while we wait for your return. Amen.

God Will Cover us When We Are In His Will

Ezra 5:3-5 -  But Tattenai, governor of the province west of the Euphrates, and Shethar-bozenai and their colleagues soon arrived in Jerusalem and asked, "Who gave you permission to rebuild this Temple and restore this structure?"  They also asked for a list of the names of all the people who were working on the Temple.  But because their God was watching over them, the leaders of the Jews were not prevented from building until a report was sent to Darius and he returned his decision.

 

God had sent two prophets to tell the Israelites to begin construction on the Temple once again. They delivered the message God gave them…then rolled up their sleeves to help with the work. When the neighboring officials from Euphrates noticed…they  were concerned…and ask them who had given them permission to continue the task…and further intimidated them by requiring a list of all the people who had done any of the work.

 

I love the response of these leaders recorded in verses 11-16….for they boldly announced their allegiance to God…and testified of the command that Cyrus had given them. God was so proud of their courage that he covered them…and did not allow the work of construction to halt. They worked on it the entire time the letter to king Darius was sent and investigated for truth.

 

It is a reminder to me that when we are in God’s will…and doing the work he called us to do…he covers us with a blanket of protection that no man…or supernatural being can break through.  Jesus explained it best in the moments before he ascended to the father. John 14:27 recorded his transfer of power to us in these words… “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  Then recorded in John 17:11… in the moments just before he returned to his father …he said… “ I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name--the name you gave me--so that they may be one as we are one.”

 

The moment I accepted Christ…and left the world….his peace and protective power began to provide for me a blanket of covering.  It remains with me as long as I am in his will …and doing the work he called me to do.  The really cool thing is I don’t have to understand it…just allow it bathe me in God’s love and power…like the disciples of the early church. 

 

Father…I thank you for the reminder that you will cover me when I am in your will…doing the work you have called me to do. Help me to be courageous and fearless …and use this peace of mind to be bold in sharing your love to others.  Forgive me Lord for he times that I have not relied on this power…and caved in to the world…and the temptations of flesh.  Help me to trust more and more in the supernatural power you can provide …when I have used up the small amount of human strength and logic my own efforts have provided.  Teach me how to rely on your unending supply of peace and power…to do all that you have called me to do…so that more people can come to know and understand your love. Amen.

Take A Stand For God's Way

Ezra 4:1-3 -  The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were rebuilding a Temple to the LORD, the God of Israel.  So they approached Zerubbabel and the other leaders and said, "Let us build with you, for we worship your God just as you do. We have sacrificed to him ever since King Esarhaddon of Assyria brought us here."  But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other leaders of Israel replied, "You may have no part in this work, for we have nothing in common. We alone will build the Temple for the LORD, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded us."

 

The people of Israel met with opposition within three years of rebuilding the temple.  The enemies and neighboring people that had settled in their lands while they were in captivity were worried about the quick progress they were making on the Temple.  They remembered how strong a people they had been …and set in their hearts to stop the work on the Temple of God.

 

They stretched the truth to try and win their trust. They did worship God…along with several other pagan idols and shrines. But the priests and leaders were on to their tactics…and knew that God would never accept their shared loved…and quickly sent them away….. even knowing in their heart that sending them away would cause them more trouble.

 

I will admit that I am not this strong sometimes.   I allow the crowd to sway me way more than I should….the fun and the attention of the moment….even distracting me for a time from what I know to be the right thing.   This story reminds me that I need to take a stand for what God has planted in my heart as right. I need to be so sure of God’s plan for my life…so familiar with his word….so attune to what he would do from my daily visits in prayer…that I stand up with confidence like Zerrubabbel…and speak God’s truth as I walk away from the things that God would not like.

 

I need to re-read the instructions of Paul in Ephesians 6…where he describes for us how to be strong in the Lords power. I need to put on my whole armor…then remember I am wearing it….before I engage in conversations…allow the world to tire me…or let satan trick me into thinking that something I want is God’s will too.

 

Father…I thank you for this reminder that I allow the world to influence me way more than I stand up for what you have taught me.  Help me this day to reexamine my motives for all that I am doing…and planning for my future…and make sure that everything lines up with what you have taught me so far. Show me the basics once again of how to put on the armor that will give me confidence and strength in what you have planned for my life. Place a red flag in front of me when I need to say no…..and give me the strength to walk away…or send away the things of the world that are not your will. Amen.

Weak Is better

Ezra 3:1-3-  Now in early autumn, when the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people assembled together as one person in Jerusalem.  Then Jeshua son of Jehozadak with his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel with his family began to rebuild the altar of the God of Israel so they could sacrifice burnt offerings on it, as instructed in the law of Moses, the man of God.  Even though the people were afraid of the local residents, they rebuilt the altar at its old site. Then they immediately began to sacrifice burnt offerings on the altar to the LORD. They did this each morning and evening.

 

It wasn’t long after they returned to settle in their towns that they gathered together to worship and praise God for their new freedom. As the leaves began to signal the change of the seasons…they set their hearts on rebuilding the altar of the Temple...and began to offer God morning and evening sacrifices and prayers. This first act of worship together…bound them together in spirit…and gave them the strength and courage they needed to live with enemies all around.

 

They realized the importance of what God had done for them…and were humbled.  They realized the importance of worshiping God from the heart…and not out of habit.  They went to him to pray for protection in their weakened state…they gathered together as a people and celebrated their first Feast of the Tabernacles in 50 years.

 

God does his best work on our hearts when we are our weakest. When we are weak…we know without a shadow of doubt that it is God that does the real work…and not anything our weakened heart and body did on its own.  Our humble hearts run to his feet and pour perfume and dry them with joyful tears of gratitude like the woman in Luke 7:43-45.

 

If we run to his feet…and even crawl up in his lap in our darkest times…God uses this time that we are weakest to show us his strength.  He gives us a fire inside to tap into the mighty strength of God…and feeds our emptiness with the word of God and the Holy Spirit.  We become confident in God’s power to accomplish anything in our lives…like Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9... “But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.”

 

I can testify that that Paul’s words are true…because I ran to God in my darkest hour…and climbed right up in his lap.  He has dried my tears…and turned my sadness into joy unexplainable. I believe with all that is in me that if I visit his word with him each evening before I sleep…and rise each day to visit and let his spirit explain to my heart what I read….I will gain just enough strength to face anything that Earth can throw in my path. 

 

It makes me feel better about being so imperfect and human. All the mistakes I still manage to make…when I let go of his hand for even one moment…are not the end of things for me…but become a new beginning when I run to him and admit that I tried to make it on my own …without him.  His strength can forgive and renew the biggest mistakes….his love can rebuild anything I lost to something even better than I had.

 

Father…I thank you for the love you planted in the hearts of these courageous Israelites so long ago. Thank you for allowing Ezra to record this story…so it would remind me that my inabilities are really possibilities when I place them in your hands. Help me to rebuild my own altar…and never stop offering you my time each evening and morning.  Let my time with you not become stagnant...or routine…but increase in rigor…and multiply the love you are able to overflow from my heart into others. Amen.

Love God Enough To Take Risks

Ezra 2:59-60 -  Another group returned to Jerusalem at this time from the towns of Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Kerub, Addan, and Immer. However, they could not prove that they or their families were descendants of Israel.  This group consisted of the families of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda -- a total of 652 people.

 

The numbers and sub clans of Israelites that left Babylon must have been very important.  Each one is listed with the exact number  that traveled back to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and Temple of Jehovah. The name of each leader was carefully recorded next to the number of Israelites he was in charge of.

 

One group of people traveled with them that could not even prove their ancestry as people of God.  They traveled alongside the others…knowing that they might not be able to participate in all the rituals and festivals they observed. They loved God so much …that they were willing to take a chance of not being fully accepted. 

 

The risk they took is an example of true faith.  Perhaps they had read the words of King Solomon recorded in Ecclesiastes 10:8-9….. “ When you dig a well, you may fall in. When you demolish an old wall, you could be bitten by a snake.  When you work in a quarry, stones might fall and crush you! When you chop wood, there is danger with each stroke of your ax! Such are the risks of life.” They were willing to take a chance that God would reward their huge step in faith….and traveled the long hard journey on faith alone.

 

Mark 12:30….Luke 10:27….Matthew 22:37 repeat the words given to Moses on Mount Sinai …recorded in Deuteronomy 6:5…. “ And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.”  These people…with no proof they were people of God…loved him with their whole heart…their whole soul…their whole mind.  They were willing to take a risk…and step out on faith that God would accept them in spite of their lack of paperwork.

 

It is an important reminder to me to never be afraid to step out on faith…when it comes to doing God’s will.  Rick Warren explains it as practicing the 80/20 rule.  He says…. “If you’ll do the 80 percent of God’s will that’s clear in the Bible, he’ll show you the 20 percent that’s not clear. In other words, love your neighbor. Spend time in God’s Word. Talk to God in prayer. Spend time with God’s people. Love your family. Love your kids. Protect the way that you speak to people. Be kind in your relationships. Be patient. Do the 80 percent that’s clear, and God will show you the rest.”

 

Father…thank you for these 653 people that loved you so much that they modeled for me how to step out on the faith in their whole being…to take a risk that would change their lives forever. Help me to internalize this great concept…and trust you more with the parts of my life …and the decisions that are not always clear. Help me to practice the parts of your will that are clear…and read your word…and study….and pray….and love others….so that the part that is unclear will suddenly become obvious.  Amen.

God's Resources Are Not Limited To What We Hold In Our Hands

Ezra 1:7-8 -  Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god.  Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.

 

Jeremiah had prophesied that God’s punishment and judgment of his people would only last 70 years.  It was foretold that a king named Cyrus would be used of God to rebuild the Temple in Isaiah 44:28. God stirred the heart of this heathen king to not just release the Jews and send them home…but to also give back all the vessels of gold and silver that Nebuchadnezzar had taken when he destroyed the Temple of God.

 

The two tribes of Judah and Benjamin were the only ones that had the courage and faith to make the trip.  The slaves had been treated well…given freedoms within the area they were confined to…many rising to power and roles of influence under the Babylonian rule.  The ten other tribes were so comfortable in the wealth they had acquired that they were unsure of their heritage…and chose to stay in Babylon.

 

But God rose up in the leaders and priests of Judah and Benjamin…and these people returned to face hardship and hard labor restoring the temple. They let go of their comfortable lifestyles to return home and worship God in freedom once more. They did not return empty handed…they carried with them all the gold and silver that Nebuchadnezzar had taken.

 

It is a reminder to me that God’s power is not limited to the resources we have in our hands alone. God has access to everything that exists in the world…he can use anyone and anything to bring his will about. Our human imaginations never fully grasp the reality that God’s vision for our life is bigger than what we are able to perceive. Just like Abraham…who had to look up at the stars in the sky to see God’s vision…we need to dream bigger than the human picture we sometimes conceive in our hearts.

 

Father...I thank you for the reminder that you are in control of every resource on Earth and Heaven.  I am awed every day at the way you provide for me…so much that I could never find words to truly thank you properly.  Open my heart and eyes and ears to see more of the bigger picture that you have put together to prosper me and give me a great future.  Help me to trust and have the faith I need to step out and believe that everything will work together for my good…even when I don’t dream big enough. Amen.

God's Mercy Has Limits...Judgment Will Come

2 Chronicles 36:15-16 - The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place.  But they mocked God's messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.

 

After Josiah’s death...several of his sons took a turn at ruling in Jerusalem.  They were evil in God’s eyes and led the people back into the heathen practices of idol worship. God’s great mercy allowed them to stay in Jerusalem for a time…while he warned them with many prophets to return back to worshiping only God. They paid tribute to the king of Babylon…but were allowed to live in their own city.

 

One day …God reached his limit of mercy and his judgment came swift and furious. He allowed the Babylonian king to come and destroy the city…burn the Temple….and break the wall that protected them.  Many were killed outright in a bloody bath of war…young…old…women…children….all died horrible deaths.  The few that survived the massacre were taken as slaves to Babylon and held for 70 years.

 

My Life Application Bible put it this way…. “Sin often repeated, but not repented of, invites disaster!”  God’s great mercy has limits…and if we are not careful…and continue to harbor known sin in our lives… God will bring judgment.  It will be swift…it will be thorough…it will fit our sin.  It will knock us to our knees…break our hardened hearts…and give us time to think about the relationship we should have built with God.

 

But here’s the cool thing about God…even if we get to that point…and bring God’s judgment on our ourselves…he never leaves us.  The whole time they were being held captive in Babylon…God was there.  His presence was still in their lives…strengthening….teaching…transforming the once cold heart into a place where he could live again. It took a while….but during that 70 years of captivity…. God reestablished himself in their lives….in the midst of their pain…while he was punishing them for their sin.

 

It reminds me of my mom and dad.  They would always punish me when they caught me doing something wrong. But as soon as my spanking….grounding… time alone in my room….or ban of TV time was over…they would draw me close and hug me….and tell me how much they loved me.  Life would continue…and they would create a new routine that would teach me the right thing to do…so I would be stronger after my punishment.

 

I am reminded this morning to always listen to the prophet…or friend God sends to warn me of my sin.  I am reminded to keep my eyes and heart ever listening to God’s still small voice when I read his word or pray.  I am reminded that I need to be careful….and always catch sin quickly…and not harbor it in my life.  God has limits to what he will allow to stay in my life…and he will judge me and punish me it I don’t remove it completely.

 

Father…I thank you for the reminder to be ever aware of the sin that might be present in my life.  Help me to honestly examine every aspect of my living…and make sure that all I do is pleasing and honors you. Help me to realize that the consequences you allow in my life as judgment…are teaching me how to live a better life. I thank you that you never leave us…that you are always present and working toward my good. Help me this day to reexamine all the actions and routines in my life….send me clear directions for anything that needs to be removed or changed because it is not pleasing to you or it does not glorify your work here on Earth. Amen.