Determined to Do God's Will
The exiles who returned to Jerusalem under the command of Cyrus to rebuild the temple could not be stopped by the regional governor and his aids. They were determined to do God's will, as they were exhorted by the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah.(Ezra 5:3,5) We all need that kind of commitment to the will of God, where nothing and no one can stop us.
Building the temple was a huge task, even though they were receiving help from the Persians at Cyrus' command. The people of the area worked against them after the death of Cyrus to stir up the new king of Persia to stop the construction. They even lied about the intentions of the Jews to rebel against the king. However, the elders of the people would not listen, because they clearly heard the will of God, and they were determined to keep working. I pray that we will not let anyone or anything stop us from doing what we know to be God's will. Whether we are doing the commands of God's Word or the things He has communicated to us in prayer, we must not allow ourselves to be discouraged or to give up in the face of opposition. God will bless us in our perseverance.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezra 6-8.
Building the temple was a huge task, even though they were receiving help from the Persians at Cyrus' command. The people of the area worked against them after the death of Cyrus to stir up the new king of Persia to stop the construction. They even lied about the intentions of the Jews to rebel against the king. However, the elders of the people would not listen, because they clearly heard the will of God, and they were determined to keep working. I pray that we will not let anyone or anything stop us from doing what we know to be God's will. Whether we are doing the commands of God's Word or the things He has communicated to us in prayer, we must not allow ourselves to be discouraged or to give up in the face of opposition. God will bless us in our perseverance.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezra 6-8.