Ezra 1:1-2:35
"Rebuild
the House of the Lord" (Ezra 1:3). This, Lord, is what You're calling
us to do. Who are You calling? Is it just a few 'special' people? - No!
It's "all those whose spirits God had moved" (Ezra 1:5). Help us, Lord,
never to say, "There's nothing for me to do." There's always something
we can do. Help us to open our hearts to You, to lay our lives before
You, and to do the work that You give us to do for You.
Ezra 2:36-3:13
At
the heart of Your work, Lord, there is worship - "praising and giving
thanks to the Lord" (Ezra 3:11). Help us to see the importance of
worship. Nothing can take the place of worship. Where would we be
without worship? Could we even begin to serve You? Help us, Lord, to
come to You, with this heartfelt prayer: "I will worship You with all of
my heart ... with all of my mind ... with all of my strength" (Jude Del
Hierro).
Ezra 4:1-5:17
Sometimes,
Lord, we're so busy, looking at the opposition that we fail to see the
opportunity. Sometimes, the opposition can have some success - "the work
on the House of God came to a standstill" (Ezra 4:24). Whenever Satan
attacks Your work, You raise up Your servants to keep the work going:
"Zerubbabel ... arose and began to rebuild the House of God in Jerusalem
(Ezra 5:2). When our heads go down, You will lift them up - and Your
work will go on.
Ezra 6:1-7:28
Lord,
Your work makes good progress when Your people receive strength from
Your Word. It's Your Word that inspires us to keep on working for You.
Your House is rebuilt, and Your people rejoice (Ezra 6:14-16). Help us,
Lord, to turn, often - again and again - to Your Word. May Your Word
lead us in the pathway of joyful obedience.
Ezra 8:1-36
Lord,
the return of Your people to Jerusalem was more than a geographical
return. It was a spiritual return. Help us to return to You - and to
seek Your blessing (Ezra 8:21). Without Your blessing, we are nothing.
Help us to hold on to Your promise: "The hand of our God is for good
upon all that seek Him" (Ezra 8:22).
Ezra 9:1-10:44
Lord,
the return of Your blessing comes with a real confession of our sin -
"Our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the
heavens" (Ezra 9:6), You don't bless us because we deserve to be
blessed. You bless us because You love us. This is where Your blessing
comes from. It comes from Your love. Despite all of our sin, You
encourage us to believe that You may yet "grant us some reviving to set
up the House of our God" (Ezra 9:8-9).
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