April 24 - Ezra 7-8
It is easy to see why God worked it out for the king to send Ezra to Jerusalem. Ezra was a descendant of Aaron, who had set his heart to know God's Word. He was a teacher of the Word of God. He was just the man that Israel needed to help them rebuild their country spiritually. It was not enough to build the Temple and the walls. The people had to be built up in the Lord, or the same thing would happen again. Ezra was God's man for this part of the rebuilding project. I believe God has His man for each church, too. It is God's will for a good, godly teacher to lead and pastor His people under His leadership. This is God's design, because He knows how people tend to drift from Him.
Ezra was the kind of person who gave all of the credit for what was happening to God. He knew that he needed help with the work so he enlisted more helpers for the work in the Temple to go back to Jerusalem with them. He, also, knew that the king and the other unbelievers were looking at them. He knew their actions must match their words if they were to be believable. When the time came for the journey, he proclaimed a fast to seek God's protection instead of asking the king for an escort, because he had told the king that his God was able to protect His people from their enemies. We must be aware of this today in all of our dealings. We must stop and ask ourselves how our actions reflect our faith and what kind of testimony our actions will be to others. When we do this, God can bless us, and others can come to know Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezra 9-10.
Ezra was the kind of person who gave all of the credit for what was happening to God. He knew that he needed help with the work so he enlisted more helpers for the work in the Temple to go back to Jerusalem with them. He, also, knew that the king and the other unbelievers were looking at them. He knew their actions must match their words if they were to be believable. When the time came for the journey, he proclaimed a fast to seek God's protection instead of asking the king for an escort, because he had told the king that his God was able to protect His people from their enemies. We must be aware of this today in all of our dealings. We must stop and ask ourselves how our actions reflect our faith and what kind of testimony our actions will be to others. When we do this, God can bless us, and others can come to know Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezra 9-10.