The name Ezra comes from a Hebrew word that means “help.” Ezra was a man of integrity, trusted by the king. Most importantly, though, Ezra was a man of God. He committed himself to knowing the Word of God. In Ezra chapter 7, verse 10, it says, “For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” So not only did Ezra study the Word, but he lived it out so he could share his knowledge and heart with others – in this way he embodied what it truly means to be a helper.
Paul says in 1 Timothy 4:2 to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” This is exactly what Ezra did. He knew the Word so he could then go out and teach it. When Ezra is sent by the king to Jerusalem, he finds the Israelites in bad shape. They had been disobedient to God, neglecting all of His ways. Ezra was equipped and ready to handle this unexpected discovery because He knew God’s word inside and out. He set about helping the Israelites find their way back to God. He was a true leader; he cared about people, lifted them up, prayed for their repentance, taught them the Word, and showed them how to live out a life of faith.
In all areas of my life, I want to be like Ezra. I pray and hope people see me as someone with integrity, someone they can trust. I want to know God’s word and keep it in my heart, so I am prepared to help in all seasons. Above all, I want to share God with others and proclaim His goodness, mercy and love.
Reflection Questions:
Have you committed yourself to knowing the Word? How do you study it? How do you best commit it to your heart?
Have you ever known a great leader? In what ways was this person like Ezra? What wisdom did that person impart to you?
This world needs more Ezras. How can you be more like Ezra today in your walk with God?
Proverbs 16:18 says: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” I think the perfect poster child for this proverb is none other than Haman, the villain of the book of Esther.
Haman had a lot of plans, didn’t he? He plotted and schemed and thought he had everything locked in. He was the king’s right hand man and proud to be in that position.
But, when his true colors were revealed to the king, he was taken down. And he fell hard.
We might look at Haman’s story and think, “Of course! I saw that coming. If only he’d read Proverbs 16.” But, as we see in Jesus’s words in Matthew 7, sometimes we can’t see the log in our own eye.
I’m not immune to feeling prideful. It comes out in me sometimes, and I’m willing to bet that it comes out in you, too. It’s so easy to spot and talk about someone else’s sin. But it’s not easy when we have to face our own.
So when we feel pride creeping in, what do we do? Psalm 73:26 says, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Every good thing we have, every good thing we are…is God’s. He is the source, and recognizing that we can do nothing apart from Him is humbling. And it halts pride right in its tracks.
Reflection Questions:
Have you ever had, or witnessed in someone else, a downfall from pride?
How do we protect our hearts against what Proverbs 16:18 warns us about? Is there a Scripture that speaks to you about this?
Sometimes (usually in the midst of a scuffle with technology) I wonder if living in 2025 is really for me. Maybe I would have been more suited for life in the 1800s, living life on the prairie. But then I remember how much I love indoor plumbing.
I kid, but in all seriousness I wonder, do you ever feel this way, too? Why are you placed in the here and now? For me, feeling equipped doesn’t always come easy. My guess is that you often feel the same. The world moves quickly and so much is happening…and sometimes I feel a bit helpless. What can I even contribute to the story? Where is my place here?
I bet this, in part, is what Esther wrestled with when Mordecai relays to her in chapter 4, verse 14, “And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
At first, she was in fear of her life, knowing that if she approached the king she would likely be put to death. In no way did she feel prepared to do what Mordecai asked of her – as if she was in a position to approach the king as anyone special. But, when Mordecai reminds her of what is at stake, she is convicted and courageously decides to take action.
I want to confront my insecurities and fears like Esther. Whether I’m facing a small task or a life-altering one, I want to show up for God. Because He told me, I know that I am made in His image, and He has placed me here, in this place and at this moment, for His purposes. I want to be an instrument He can use to further His Kingdom. How about you?
Reflection Questions:
Have you ever felt inadequate or out of place? What did you do in response to that?
Has there been a time in your life when you were called to be brave, like Esther, beyond your own strength? How did you experience God in that moment?
What is God calling you to do today? How can you be courageous and embrace what He has for you?
Anticipation. It’s the worst. But it’s also the best. On one hand, being hopeful and excited about an upcoming event can be agonizing. On the other, you can feel joy and peace in the waiting.
The end of the book of Zechariah paints a vibrant picture for us of the return of Jesus. It tells us what it will look like – his feet on the Mount of Olives, the mountain split into two, his light illuminating all the earth, living waters flowing. But, the book doesn’t reveal a crucial part – the when. No one knows the day or the hour of Jesus’ return, and if you are anything like me, this can drive you a little crazy. I’m filled with so much awe and wonder when I read these verses and meditate on what is to come. But I can’t escape wondering about the when.
However, I do not want to be anxious about it. I don’t want to focus so much on the when that I neglect two other vital pieces – the who and the why.
See, when Jesus comes back, I want to be ready for him. Every day I want to know him more, love him more deeply and live more like he did. This is how I prepare. And, I want to be sure that those I love are found the same when he comes back. That is my calling. That is the who.
And the why? Because God loved us, He sent his son to save us. In focusing on that truth I can live each day trusting God that His timing is best. I don’t need to worry about when. I just need to do my part – preparing, praying, loving and serving. Because He loves me, and I can rest easily in that, waiting for His perfect timing.
Reflection Questions:
How do you handle anticipation?
Who is your “who?”
What is one way today that you can focus on the “why?”
When was the last time you were faced with the question of readiness? Ready to make a career change, get married, have a baby, retire, begin a new ministry? When, if ever, are we 100% ready? If we’re honest, I’d say almost never. We can make the decision, though, to prepare ourselves and make progress every day towards that next step. Will we make mistakes? Yes. Will we stumble? Of course. But, if we commit our hearts, relying on God to guide us in the journey, we can trust that He will equip us for all we need. Like Paul reminds us in Romans, God works for the good of us in all things, as long as we are living for His purposes.
So today brings us again to Zechariah, and a similar question he asks the Israelites on behalf of God. He asks them if they are ready to be the kind of people ready to receive God’s Kingdom. The Lord says, “These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely…” (Zech 8:16-17)
Like asking ourselves if we are ready for the next step in this earthly life, Zechariah’s question is one we can ask ourselves today regarding our Kingdom life. Are we ready to be the kind of people ready to receive God’s new Kingdom here on earth? Our hearts should be thankful for His guidance and pure in our intentions, desiring to obey God’s word and striving to be the kind of people He calls us to be.
Reflection Questions:
Are you ready to be ready for the Kingdom to come? Check your heart.
What can you do today to become more ready than you were yesterday?
We spent yesterday with Haggai urging the Israelites to obey God with a pure heart and focus on His coming Kingdom. Zechariah, another minor prophet, does something similar, encouraging the Israelites to rebuild the temple.
Here again, the Israelites are discouraged. Zechariah challenges them to not be like their ancestors, rebellious and disobedient. He reminds them that if they turn back to God, He will be with them. “Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (Zech. 1:3)
Zechariah has a series of God-brought nighttime visions, solidifying His promises to restore and protect His people and the city of Jerusalem, and to bring the promise of the Messiah to fruition.
Today, visions and dreams from God are far less common, or even do not occur at all, depending on one’s interpretation of the Word. We can’t expect God to give us clear visions while we sleep, but what we can do is remember that He left us his Word, which is 66 books of His goodness, His plans and His promises. Within these pages you’ll find the assurance that God is with us, that He promises to never leave us. He urges us to return to Him, and there we will find Him. Just like Zechariah encouraged the Israelites, so God encourages us.
Reflection Questions:
Have you ever experienced a vision? Or, recall a time when Scripture spoke to you so strongly that it was as a vision.
Has there been a time in your life where you rebelled or were disobedient? What happened when you returned back to God?
What is your favorite promise from God? Reflect on that today.
Haggai is a short, two chapter book, but it packs a lot. Haggai was a minor prophet who urged the Israelites to do four things – reflect on their priorities, work in hope during hard circumstances, be humble and pure in their intentions and actions, and remain faithful for the coming kingdom.
Have you ever been in the midst of tackling a massive project? Perhaps a work, home improvement or church project? Sometimes these endeavors can feel so tedious, can’t they? Like you will never ever be done with the task and the finished product is hard to even fathom, a pinprick of light at the end of a long tunnel. In the midst of it all you’re likely very weary. You’re even considering taking some shortcuts just to get the thing done! If you’re solely relying on your human limits, you’re not seeing past the long days to the end result, which sounded so promising in earlier days.
The Israelites felt the same. Before they even began rebuilding the temple, they weren’t focusing on what God wanted from them, instead zeroing in on selfish endeavors. When they decided to rebuild, with Haggai’s prompting, it was a major undertaking. They felt like their efforts were fruitless and the days were difficult. They gave little effort to what they were told God wanted for them. They weren’t choosing to humbly submit to God and make the daily choice of obedience to Him. They just didn’t feel His vision anymore.
What Haggai is driving at is this – God has so much for us. But we need to do our part, too. Furthermore, our choices really do matter. Our heart matters. God doesn’t just want us to blindly “do,” He wants us to want to obey His word. That’s how His work is done in the world. We are His hands & feet, working in humility and obedience to our Father to establish His perfect Kingdom.
Reflection questions:
What are you doing for God right now, or what is He calling you to do? What is your attitude about it?
What is one way that you can recast your vision for what God has in store? What can you do today to be obedient to Him?
Today our reading is from Psalm 137 and Ezra 4-6. I will start with Psalm 137 because it shows the depth of depression that the Jewish people were feeling after being taken into captivity. Imagine a foreign country coming in and destroying your homeland, with thousands killed and thousands exiled to foreign lands. Psalm 137:1 says: “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept.” They also desire to see justice on the Babylonians.
As Ezra 3 ended it seemed like things were going well for the Jews. The foundation had been laid and there was great rejoicing. Then the enemies of the Jews who wanted to stop what they were doing started causing trouble. First they asked if they could join them because they were also seeking their God. Of course, this was a lie, they wanted to find a way to stop them by whatever means they could. But the heads of the households of Judah and Benjamin refused this offer. The people of the land scared them into stopping the project. During the reign of Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes the rebuilding was put on hold because the enemies convinced those kings that the Jewish people would rebel against them if they allowed them to build their temple.
It was stopped until the second year of the reign of King Darius. In Ezra 5, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah enter the picture. Two men, Zerubbabel and Jeshua, answered the call and started to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Tattenai, the governor of the province, asked by whose authority were they rebuilding the temple. The Jewish people said they were going to keep on building until they heard from King Darius. They continued to do the work under the watchful eye of God, who was with them during this time. When asked who gave them the authority to rebuild, they said, Ezra 5:11b-12 “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. But because our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.”
King Darius found the scroll from King Cyrus in Ecbatana and sent this decree in Ezra 6:7 “Leave this work on the house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this temple of God on its site.” And it will be paid by the royal treasury. Ezra 6:12 says: “May the God who has caused His name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who attempts to change it, so as to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued this decree, let it be carried out with all diligence!”They finished in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. The Jewish people had not celebrated the Passover feast for around 70 years but they celebrated this event once again when the completion of the work was done on the second temple. Ezra 6:21 “The sons of Israel who returned from exile and all those who had separated themselves from the impurity of the nations of the land to join them, to seek the LORD God of Israel, ate the Passover.”
Jeremiah 29:13 has always been one of my favorite verse: And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” This verse was written during the time of the exiles but it is still relevant for us today. If you ever played Hide and Seek as a kid, the game wasn’t a lot of fun if the one searching leaves, causing the person in hiding to keep waiting. When we seek God, we never want to give up and walk away. We must continually seek Him, and we will find him when we search with our whole heart! He tells us that and we know his promises are sure.
Reflection Questions
Have you ever faced outside opposition when you were working on a project for God? What does it take to continue serving God when others want you to stop?
What did the ‘God seekers’ do right?
Do you seek God with your whole heart? Is there a part of your heart that is not committed to seeking God? Are there times when you give up the search?
Isaiah 14:24 says: The Lord Almighty has sworn, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen.”
In the first chapter of Ezra it says that God stirred the heart of King Cyrus to fulfill a prophecy of Jeremiah that they would be exiled for seventy years and after this time they would be allowed to return to Jerusalem. See Jeremiah 25:11-12, 29:10.
In Isaiah 44-45, it names King Cyrus over a century before he was born. It is amazing to see how God chooses to work, here he is using a pagan king to fulfill his prophesies. King Cyrus sent out a proclamation that “the Lord, the God of heaven” had appointed him to rebuild His house in Jerusalem. Ezra Chapter 1 v.3 says “Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem.”
Then, he told all the survivors to support them with silver, gold, or other valuables. Everyone had a part in the rebuilding of the temple even if they were not actually doing the building. We all have a part in ministry, it may be supporting those that are doing the work, but that is an important and much needed part of any ministry. King Cyrus also brought back the vessels from the first temple that Nebuchadnezzar had taken and restored them to their rightful place.
These people had been taken into captivity when Babylon had taken over, now they are given a chance to return and chapter 2 lists the people and the families that they represent who came back. In 2:68-69a “Some of the heads of fathers’ households, when they arrived at the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, offered willingly for the house of God to erect it on its site. According to their ability they gave to the treasury…” The identity of the Jewish people as the people of God was tied up in the temple, where the presence of the Lord dwelt. The Jewish people were devastated by the destruction of the first temple in 586 BC. They were filled with despair and a loss of hope. With the chance to rebuild the temple, the people gained some of their hope back. Their national pride began to come back. In the seventh month after the return, the Levites built an altar to God so that they could offer burnt offerings on it. This was important to them to show obedience to the Law of Moses. It was also an important act of worship to God. They were terrified of the people around them, and they wanted the protection of God to surround them. They reinstated the offerings and the festivals even before the foundation for the temple had been laid, because they wanted to restore their worship to God. The people were excited to build the temple again, to have a place where God would dwell, and where they could go to worship Him.
When the foundation was laid, it says in chap 3 v. 10b-11a “they praised the Lord according to the directions of King David of Israel.” “And they sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, ’God He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever.” They shouted and wept in celebration and it says it was heard far away.
Just as God used people in the Old and New Testament to carry out his purposes, he also uses us for His purpose. Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Also, Philippians 2:13 “For it is God who is at work in you, both to desire and to work for His good pleasure.” God is working with us and using us to bring about his promises. We can rest in the knowledge that whatever He has planned for us to do, he will give us the means to fulfill it.
Questions for Reflection:
Describe the thoughts and feelings the Jews may have felt as they heard King Cyrus’ proclamation of Ezra 1:2-4. And, also, as they entered Jerusalem?
In what ways have you been a part of a ministry planned by God and much larger than yourself?
“We can rest in the knowledge that whatever He has planned for us to do, he will give us the means to fulfill it.” – How have you already seen this to be true in your own life? What might God have prepared for you to do next? How has He already prepared you for it? What means are being put in place?
The final chapters of Daniel give us a peek into the future. It also gives us a look at how things exist in the spiritual realm. In Daniel chapter 10, Daniel was given a great vision about the future – a future filled with great conflict. The vision was so terrible that Daniel refused to eat (choice foods) or bathe (“use lotions”) for a full three weeks! As Daniel pondered the meaning of the vision, God was already at work “behind the scenes” (within the spiritual realms).
After a few weeks of giving his whole devotion and confusion to God, Daniel gazed across the Tigris River and saw a man clothed in linen, with a fine belt of gold around his waist (Daniel 10:4-5). Daniel quickly realized this was no ordinary man – this was a man who looked like beryl (a green gemstone) with a face like lightning. His eyes were like flames and his arms and legs beamed like bronze. His voice was very loud (Dan. 10:5-6). Daniel, recognizing this man as an angel sent from God was overcome with fear and fainted! How would you react if you saw an actual angel?
The angel was not there to frighten Daniel, but to encourage him. The angel touched Daniel and woke him up with gentle words of encouragement and affirmation. The angel informed Daniel that he had been sent to him by God – and a reminder that God greatly loved him. God was pleased that Daniel was a man who devoted his heart to understanding. He was a man who humbled himself before God (Daniel 12:11-12). As a result, God sent this angel to give Daniel a special message – and a gift of encouragement.
Many times we pray to God and wonder if He will answer us. Sometimes, we can feel so small that we wonder if God even hears our prayers. Daniel must have felt that way as he struggled for three weeks without choice food and wine. Where was God? Would God give him understanding of the terrible vision? We often struggle when it seems that God has not heard or answered our prayers.
But the angel allowed us to take a “sneak peak behind the scenes”. From the moment Daniel began to pray – on the very first day of prayer – God had heard him and sent out the angel on this important mission to meet with Daniel. Why the delay? The Angel explains that as he went forth from God, he was attacked and battled with the “prince of the kingdom of Persia” (Dan. 10:13). This spiritual battle between the angel and demonic wickedness lasted for 21 days and was only broken by the appearance of the arch-angel Michael (Daniel 10:12-14). What a battle!
In the book of Ephesians, Paul encourages us to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” and to equip ourselves with the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-11). By preparing for spiritual “battle” we have the advantage to defeat wickedness. Paul explains that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities…” (like the prince over Persia who fought against the angel) “…against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
Believe it or not, there actually is an unseen, spiritual world. It is the heavenly world of our God and all spiritual forces – good and evil. Just like Daniel, we often seek God for comfort, guidance, and an answer to our prayers. Sometimes, we need to keep praying. And keep hanging in there – because the battle can be long. Through our faithfulness and endurance, God can ultimately demonstrate His grace and truth. Put on the full armor and stand firm!
Questions for Discussion:
Why do you think God allowed the angel to be detained by the spirit over Persia?
We cannot see the spiritual realm, but we are impacted by what goes on there. How can our full armor of God make an impact in the “heavenly places”?
Seek Grow Love 