Ezra 9:2 "The leaders led the way in this betrayal." The exiles were plunged into a sea of joy in one chapter praising God, then in chapter 9, they are betraying the God they just exuberantly praised. This band of escapees entered and embraced the lives of those who are not holy. Ezra's response? Ezra 9:3 When I heard all this, I ripped my clothes and my cape; I pulled hair from my head and out of my beard; I slumped to the ground, appalled.
Ezra prayed.
Ezra fasted.
Ezra wept.
HE listened.
God, You allowed this battered band to get a firm foothold.
God, You put us in good graces and gave us a heart to restore The Temple.
But, Ezra 9:10 says: "We have thrown your commands to the wind even though the prophets said, 'Don't cultivate their good opinion; don't make over them and get them to like you...don't build your own money and a tidy estate.' " Don't I cultivate the good opinions of others? Do I make over them to get them to like me? What's beneath that? I think about pursuing a full-time job soon and find myself "making over" others because the job market is not in my favor. What do I want more than my Christ? A job. Can I just trust HIM and know HE doesn't need my help to make others holy. Faithful is HE Who called and HE will do it. HE is looking to restore repentant hearts.
Ezra 8:15-17
ReplyDelete"I gathered them together at the canal that runs to Ahava. We camped there three days. I looked them over and found that they were all laymen and priests but no Levites. So I sent for the leaders......and sent them to Iddo........and told them what to say to Iddo and his relatives who lived there in Casiphia: "Send us ministers for The Temple of God."
Ezra's progress back to Jerusalem was halted while he had to recruit Levites. God had called Levite men to a special service, yet few were willing to volunteer when they were needed.
This passage in our reading today, really jumped off the page and into my heart. My husband and I recently joined a church. After three years of living in Knoxville, and lots of questions of where the Lord was leading us, we finally found a church we feel at home, where we can worship our Lord, and the pastor's message each week challenges us in mighty ways to live our Christian lives.
We have been attending the church since the beginning of the year and I have yet to get involved in the church. I was waiting for someone to ask for my help, yet reading Ezra 8, I am reminded that I should not wait to be recruited or wait until someone ask me to help. I should willingly look for opportunities to volunteer and serve. I don't want to hinder God's work by holding back. He has called my husband and I to serve in this body, and we have official become members, and my prayer is that the Lord will open my eyes to see opportunities to where my gifts can be used to serve others.
What a great lesson that I truly needed today.
Love you all!!