TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 27:32-50; 28:1-10
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. - John 3:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
In his poem, “The Lamb,” English writer William Blake wrote these lines:

Little lamb, who made thee?

Dost thou know who made thee? . . .

He is called by thy name,

For He calls Himself a Lamb.

He is meek, and He is mild;

He became a little child.

We are called by His name.

Indeed, Christ Jesus came to be sacrificed as the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). “He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed” (Isa. 53:5).

The Son of God was crucified as a criminal by the Roman government at the instigation of the Jewish people. In addition to intense physical suffering, He endured cruel and blasphemous taunts from passersby, religious leaders, and even the other condemned men. He watched the soldiers gamble for His clothes. Despite His suffering, He prayed: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). He remained in control and decided when it was time to give up His spirit (Matt. 27:50).

According to the angel, no one should have been surprised at the Resurrection: “He has risen, just as He said” (28:6). Against Jewish cultural expectations, women were the first witnesses. When they heard the news, they hurried to tell the disciples, and Jesus Himself met them. They fell at His feet in love and worship!

Jesus’ death and resurrection transformed history, as well as every one of us. At the Cross, we contemplate the ultimate proof of God’s mercy: He gave the life of His one and only Son. At the open tomb, we contemplate His power: Christ conquered sin, death, and hell and rose again.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If you’ve never seen the Jesus video,why not borrow, rent, or buy it and watch it soon? This film was used to evangelize millions of people from cultures all around the globe. It presents the life of Christ in a straightforward, authentic manner.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 1:1-11
You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. - Acts 1:8
TODAY IN THE WORD
One hundred years after his death, Canadian missionary George Leslie Mackay is a beloved figure in Taiwan. Though called a “black-bearded barbarian” and pelted with stones and excrement when he first arrived, he earned the country’s love and respect.

During his career, Mackay preached the gospel, did medical and dental work, mastered the language, and founded a modern hospital and college. When he died, he was buried not in the foreigners’ cemetery, but among the Taiwanese. Last summer, Mackay became the first Westerner honored on a Taiwanese stamp.

By taking the love of Christ to Taiwan, Mackay obeyed the Great Commission, the last command Jesus gave to His disciples. Forty days after the Resurrection, He ascended to heaven. Before He went, He promised His followers a new spiritual reality: the indwelling Holy Spirit (v. 5). We’ll look more at this tomorrow. He also gave them a new message: Christ crucified and risen. They were to be witnesses to what they’d seen and heard. Finally, He gave them a new command: to preach this gospel throughout the world (cf. Matt. 28:19-20).

In one sense, these things were not new. The Messiah had long been prophesied, and God’s heart for the nations is evident throughout Scripture. But in another sense, Christ’s Ascension opened a new chapter in the story, one that had not been expected. The birth of the church and the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles is entirely in line with the Old Testament and what it reveals about God’s nature and purposes, but still no one had anticipated the full grandeur of His plan.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 2:1-41
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. - Acts 2:4
TODAY IN THE WORD
When you’re reading a novel, there’s a moment when it all comes together, when it all makes sense and you understand where all this is going. “Aha! So that’s what’s motivating him.” “Aha! So that’s the secret she was hiding.” “Aha! So that’s what the author is driving at.” No matter what kind of novel you’re reading, these “Aha!” moments of crystallization are one of the joys of imaginative literature.

The disciples probably had the same feeling in today’s reading. When the Holy Spirit descended, the gospel of Christ and the flow of biblical history became clear to them. “Aha!”

Before His Resurrection and Ascension, Jesus had promised the disciples that when He left He would send “another Counselor to be with you forever–the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16-17). His presence would distinguish His followers from and empower them against an uncomprehending world. His daily filling would make it possible for us to live by faith, to pursue righteousness, and to show God’s love (Gal. 5:22-23).

On the day of Pentecost, the Jewish Feast of Weeks, about 120 believers were gathered in one place when the Holy Spirit descended. The fire and wind demonstrated His glory and power. The believers began to speak in tongues, proclaiming the gospel in many foreign languages. We have compelling evidence for this, since an initially skeptical international audience heard virtually every language of the known world (Acts 2:5). The listeners were amazed and confused, coming up with the lame guess that the believers must be drunk.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 9:1-19
By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. - 1 Corinthians 15:10
TODAY IN THE WORD
In the mid-1700s, David Brainerd worked tirelessly to reach Native Americans with the gospel. Dying at the age of 29 after only five years of ministry, he left behind journals which have inspired many later missionaries.

Brainerd suffered much for the gospel, both physically and spiritually: “It seemed to me I should never have any success among the Indians. My soul was weary of my life; I longed for death, beyond measure.” Though his inexperience and lack of language skills contributed to his problems, he persisted and was eventually blessed with converts.

Paul was also willing to endure hardship and suffering for the sake of the gospel. But he didn’t start out that way. When Christ met him on the Damascus road, the future apostle’s life required radical changing. He was, in fact, an enemy of the fledgling church. The believers had begun to carry out the Great Commission in the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul, a devout Jew, bitterly opposed and persecuted them (cf. Phil. 3:4-7).

God did what we have seen Him do time and time again in Scripture. He met Paul, spoke to him personally, and transformed his life. From that one encounter flowed consequences for most of the known world at that time–life-giving consequences ordained by God as part of His eternal plan (cf. Gal. 1:15).

On a “hunting trip” to persecute more Christians, Paul saw a light from heaven. One thinks of Isaiah’s vision, or Jacob’s dream, or the Transfiguration of Christ. And it was Christ Himself who appeared to Paul, for by persecuting His church, he was persecuting the Lord. Christ mercifully revealed Himself to a man headed in the totally wrong direction, and gave him an opportunity to accept His grace.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
On the Damascus road, Christ met and transformed His enemy. He Himself commanded: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt. 5:44).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 16:16-34
Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. - Acts 16:16-34
TODAY IN THE WORD
Thomas Watson, a Puritan pastor and writer in 17th century London, had this to say about suffering:

“As the hard frosts in winter bring on the flowers in the spring, as the night ushers in the morning star, so the evils of affliction produce much good to those who love God. . . . Afflictions work for good in that they make way for glory. . . . As plowing prepares the earth for a crop, so afflictions prepare and make us fit for glory. As the painter lays his gold upon dark colors, so God first lays the dark colors of affliction, and then He lays the golden color of glory. The vessel is first seasoned before wine is poured into it; the vessels of mercy are first seasoned with affliction, and then the wine of glory is poured in.”

Paul and Silas had this same attitude, and counted it an honor to suffer for the name of Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 11:23-28; Phil. 1:29-30). They’d gotten into trouble in Philippi specifically for doing God’s work. Their persecutors had economic motivations, abetted by spiritual blindness and a fear of foreigners. These factors came together to cause the two men to be beaten and imprisoned without a trial.

Sometimes God’s will takes us to hard places. One minute Paul and Silas were casting out a demon, the next minute they were sitting helplessly in jail, but it was all part of God’s sovereign plan.

God sustained His missionaries, not just to survive or endure, but to thrive. His grace to them filled them with such joy that they could praise Him, even from a jail cell. By doing so, they became channels of divine mercy to the other prisoners and to the jailer. The other prisoners were listening to them singing, perhaps in amazement. No doubt they heard the truth about Christ in their songs. When God sent an earthquake, the jailer and his family also heard the way of salvation, and gladly received the gift of new spiritual life.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Rejoicing in suffering is not a natural response--it’s a supernatural one. How can we learn to share the attitudes displayed by Thomas Watson, Paul, and Silas?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Revelation 21:1-8; 22:7
It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. - Revelation 21:6
TODAY IN THE WORD
Our month’s study of “The Greatest Story Ever Told” concludes today, and to celebrate we’ve peeked forward to the story’s magnificent conclusion.

Though our devotional study is ending, and though we know how the story turns out, the truth is that we’re still living it–today, tomorrow, and the next day, until we die or Christ returns. We’re characters in the “one story” of the Bible! From before the foundation of the world, God has prepared a part for us to play. Our story will be added to the divine history, alongside the biblical stories of Noah, Ruth, Daniel, and Paul (cf. Heb. 12:1-2).

Does this thought excite you? Then you’ve tasted a bit of the joy that will be ours when we dwell at last in the very presence of God.

On that day, there will be a new heaven and a new earth. God will dwell with us personally (21:3, 7; 22:4). The curse will be done with–there will be no more sin, no more death, no more sorrow. We’re so used to the “old order of things” that we can hardly imagine what life will be like when God says, “I am making everything new!” (v. 5).

When the Great Author closes the book, we will find that the story has actually been Him from start to finish: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.” What has He done from cover to cover? “To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life” (21:6; cf. John 4:14). It’s all about the eternal life we’ve received through the mercy of God!

For those who overcome, or persevere (cf. Phil. 1:6), the story is one of mercy accepted and intimacy with God. For unbelievers, however, the story is one of mercy rejected. Such people will be justly condemned and cast out of God’s presence. But for those of us who choose life, His name will be on our foreheads, signifying that we belong totally to Him.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We trust you’ve enjoyed and been challenged by this month’s study of “The Greatest Story Ever Told.” We also hope you have come away with a fresh passion for God, for the stories and themes of Scripture, and the glory of God’s overall plan.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Jeremiah 25:1-12; 29:10-14
For I know the plans I have for you . . . plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11
TODAY IN THE WORD
Initial construction on the Pentagon complex began on September 11, 1941. That evening, President Franklin Roosevelt spoke of a danger that was no longer only theoretically possible, but very real. He said that the nation’s enemy was equally an enemy of morality and religion.

Roosevelt was referring to the threat of war–with Pearl Harbor just a few months away, the United States was about to enter some of its hardest times as a nation. For us, of course, it’s impossible to miss the importance of the date on which Roosevelt spoke, because our generation will be forever marked by the events of September 11, 2001. Our enemy has also proven very real, with a brutal disregard for morality and true faith. So, much like believers in our parents’ and grandparents’ day, we are now struggling with the challenge of what it means to follow God in hard times.

The Word of God has timeless wisdom for us as we face this challenge, and this month we’ll look at that wisdom through the story of God’s people who were called to follow Him during some of the hardest times their nation ever faced. Our biblical setting is the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, and the people were Jewish exiles who were given permission to return home from exile in Babylon in 538 B.C., by the decree of the Persian king Cyrus. Judah’s seventy years in exile as judgment on the people’s sin and idolatry were coming to a close, and it was time for God’s people to go back and restore His land and His worship.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today’s verse is a wonderful promise for tough times. But to realize God’s blessings, we need to put our complete trust in Him. That’s why the message of Jeremiah 29:13 is so crucial: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ezra 2:1-2, 64-70; Jeremiah 24:1-10
I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. - Jeremiah 24:7
TODAY IN THE WORD
The names of over 4.5 million Jews who perished in the Holocaust are stored in the computers at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. Visitors can search for a person’s name, and if that name is on file all known information about that individual will appear, including a photo. The memorial continually seeks and gathers information on Holocaust victims, and workers there say that the ultimate goal is to identify each one of the six million victims.

Yad Vashem is a very moving example of the importance of names. Names are important to God, too, as we will see in our study of Ezra and Nehemiah. Today’s reading is the first of six daily readings this month that include extended lists of names. In addition to today’s reading, you may want to skim Ezra 2:3–63.

Many Bible students wonder about the value of the Scripture’s long lists of names. In the case of the Jews who came back to Jerusalem from Babylon, lists like the one in Ezra 2 were important for several reasons. For one thing, since the total number of people who came back with Zerubbabel was 49,987, accurate family records were essential.

It was important, too, that the priests, Levites, and others who were to serve in the rebuilt temple be identified so their service could be established. In fact, those whose family records could not be found were excluded from the priesthood (2:59–63). The list is also important because the Jews who submitted to Babylon and went into exile were the ones who, according to Jeremiah’s prophecy, were obedient to God and would be blessed by Him.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Praise God that He knows our names! Jesus said, “Rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). When you think of friends, coworkers, and family members who don’t know Christ as their Savior, do some names come to mind? Take some extra time this weekend to pray for at least three unsaved people you know, and ask God to give you a “divine appointment” to witness and share the gospel with them. To aid you in praying for these friends, add their names to your prayer list.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ezra 3:1-13
Reform your ways and your actions and obey the Lord your God. - Jeremiah 26:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
When the Olympic Games resumed in London in 1948 after a twelve-year absence due to World War II, the competitors included two athletes who represented what could be called the old and the new of Olympic champions. A Dutch track star who had first competed in the 1936 Games in Berlin, Germany, returned in 1948 at the age of 30. She was relatively old by Olympic standards, but she won four gold medals! Another hero at the 1948 Games was a 17-year-old American named Bob Mathias, who won gold in the decathlon.

Interesting things happen when the old and the new come together. One of the most famous examples of this in the Bible is found in today’s text, as the older exiles cried and the younger ones rejoiced when sacrifices were offered in Jerusalem for the first time in fifty years. The purpose of the exiles’ return to the land of Israel was to rebuild the temple and to re-establish worship as God’s covenant people.

Jeremiah had warned the people of Judah before their captivity to reform their ways, but they failed to obey God and suffered exile and the destruction of the temple. The people who came back under Zerubbabel knew they could not afford to make the same mistakes.

The first thing the people did under the leadership of Zerubbabel and the priest Jeshua was to build an altar on which to offer the sacrifices prescribed in the Law of Moses. The temple itself was still in ruins, and it would take some months to gather all the building materials that were needed. But the worship of God could not wait.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The exiles had to build their altar and worship God in the midst of people who didn’t know Him and were a cause for fear (v. 3). That sounds very familiar. As God’s people today, we are called to serve and worship Him in the middle of a culture that has forgotten Him and is often hostile to Christian faith. And if we’re honest, we have to admit that we are fearful sometimes. The next time you are tempted to fear, turn to 2 Timothy 1:7 and claim the truth of this great verse.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ezra 4:1-24
God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. - 1 Corinthians 1:27
TODAY IN THE WORD
Former Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev often denounced Joseph Stalin in an attempt to move the Soviet people away from idolizing the brutal deceased dictator. During one public meeting at which Khrushchev was denouncing Stalin, someone in the crowd shouted, “You were one of Stalin’s colleagues! Why didn’t you stop him?”

“Who said that?” Nikita Khrushchev roared. The place went quiet as the audience froze in fear. Then in a quiet voice, Khrushchev said, “Now you know why.”

Some people are so intimidating they can stop us in our tracks, while others are more subtle in their attempts to manipulate us. The exiles of Israel experienced both kinds of opposition once word got out to the surrounding peoples that the Jerusalem temple was being rebuilt. These “enemies of Judah” first tried to join God’s people in the work so they could disrupt it, and when that didn’t work, they tried to intimidate them into quitting.

The people in question were primarily the descendants of the pagan peoples that the Assyrian Empire had imported into the northern kingdom of Israel after conquering and deporting the Israelites to Assyria. This policy helped to ensure that a conquered area would not rise up in a new fervor of nationalism. Zerubbabel’s enemies were a mixed group in every sense–the ancestors of the mixed-race Samaritans of Jesus’ day.

Ezra 4 is disjointed chronologically because Ezra went on to show the long history of opposition that the returning exiles faced. The events of verses 6 through 23 are a historical parenthesis that covers the period of time to King Artaxerxes, who reigned many years later.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The exiles who returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple must have looked foolish and weak to the people around them. But those workers and worshipers who obeyed God by returning to the land of Israel with Zerubbabel and Joshua were still God’s choice to accomplish His will.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ezra 5:1-17
No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. - Isaiah 54:17
TODAY IN THE WORD
When Dr. C. Everett Koop was appointed U.S. surgeon general by President Ronald Reagan, the public health department was in disarray, with employees suffering from discouragement and low morale. Dr. Koop set about putting things in order, and to boost morale he began wearing the uniform of his office, which was his right because the surgeon general is in a rank equivalent to a vice-admiral in the U.S. Navy. Dr. Koop’s capable leadership and deep Christian commitment soon made a tremendous difference in the public health service.

The Jews who had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and re-establish Israel’s obedience to the Mosaic covenant also became demoralized and needed someone to get them back on track. External opposition and internal complacency had combined to stop work on the temple from about 535 to 520 B.C. It’s amazing to think of this crucial project sitting idle for that long, which indicates how much the people’s commitment had lagged.

Finally, God sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to challenge His people to turn from complacency and self-absorption and to get back to work on the temple (vv. 1–2, cf. Hag. 1:1–8).

Ezra did not mention the people’s spiritual problems because his emphasis was on the external opposition they faced. This opposition certainly did make tough times even more difficult, because the exiles had to watch out for the people around them while trying to rebuild their ruined temple and nation.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If we are to follow God faithfully in tough times, we have to be honest and transparent before Him. The exiles of Judah were candid in telling Tattenai that Israel’s destruction came about because their forefathers “angered” God (v. 12) by their disobedience. The Holy Spirit is faithful to convict us when we are off track spiritually. Ask God to search your heart and point out any area of sin or disobedience to be confessed and cleansed, which God has promised to do (1 John 1:9).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ezra 6:1-12
When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him. - Proverbs 16:7
TODAY IN THE WORD
Dwight L. Moody faced more than his share of opponents and critics during his incredible ministry in Chicago and around the world. In the early days of Moody’s work someone nicknamed him “Crazy Moody,” and Moody himself said that some people probably considered him a fanatic. Others complained that he was in ministry for the money and was using his work to gain favor with the wealthy. But instead of driving people away from Moody, his critics’ attacks increased Moody’s popularity, helping to expand his work. God used all these attacks against Moody to further spread the gospel.

Anyone who doubts that God can turn a negative situation around needs to spend some time in the book of Ezra. We can’t say for sure that Tattenai, the Persian-appointed governor of the area that included Palestine, was a bitter opponent of the Jews. But his challenge of their right to rebuild was a major obstacle to the completion of the temple. These events became the biggest boost the Jews had for their project since King Cyrus’s original decree.

Tattenai’s letter was received at the Persian court and the requested search for the historical decree was made. Interestingly, the scroll was found not in the city of Babylon but in Ecbatana, a provincial capital three hundred miles to the northeast. This was the summer residence of the Persian kings and the place from which Cyrus issued his decree. The search revealed details of the decree that were not in the public announcement (see Ezra 1:1–4). These included the fact that the costs for the temple’s construction were to be paid from the royal treasury, and that the gold and silver articles originally taken by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar were to be given back.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
It’s exciting to see how God turned tough circumstances around for His people in days past. It’s not always easy to stay faithful to God and wait patiently for Him when we are going through trials, when our present circumstances aren’t so wonderful. God may want to change the situation, or your response to the situation, by showing you His power to sustain you. Are you willing to wait for God to accomplish His will and bring about His glory through your tough times? Tell Him so today.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ezra 6:13-22
If you fully obey the Lord your God . . . [he] will set you high above all the nations on earth. - Deuteronomy 28:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
Sometimes God’s people are very slow to learn the lessons He teaches. Israel’s centuries-long infatuation with idolatry is Exhibit A of this fact. It took the destruction of the temple and seventy years of Babylonian captivity before God’s chosen people finally put away the false gods of the pagan nations. Idolatry was never again the problem for Israel the way it had been before the exile.

The returning leaders of Israel learned this lesson so well that one of the recurring themes in Ezra and Nehemiah is their determination to worship and live in accordance with God’s commands (vv. 18, 20–21). It was this commitment, and God’s promise to restore and bless His people following their captivity, that brought the Jerusalem temple to completion in 515 B.C. This was more than four years after the work was resumed at the urging of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, and about twenty-three years after the first exiles arrived in Jerusalem.

The joy at the temple’s dedication is easy to understand. The people had seen God turn a potential threat, Tattenai and his officials, into their “bank account” for the needs of the work. When the foundation had been laid, the older men cried because the new temple was so much smaller and less glorious than Solomon’s. One indication of this is the smaller number of animals offered in sacrifice at this dedication as compared to Solomon’s offerings (v. 17, cf. 1 Kings 8:62–63).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Reflect for a few minutes on some of the lessons God has taught you recently. Write them down if it will help you recall the circumstances, people, and Scripture that God used to show you an important truth about your work, finances, family, or some other issue. Then consider some questions about your list. For instance, were you quick to learn the lesson, or did it come to you with difficulty? Have these experiences made you more sensitive to and aware of God’s leading? Finish your time of reflection with a prayer for wisdom to “fully obey the Lord” at all times and to discern God’s direction.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ezra 7:1-10
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. - Psalm 119:11
TODAY IN THE WORD
Of all the lessons we can learn from a study of Ezra and Nehemiah, one of the most important is that God never does anything halfway. That’s good news for us, giving us hope even in tough times. Once His judgment of the seventy years’ exile for Israel was completed, God began moving His hand to restore His people to their land and to Himself. And He didn’t stop until the temple and the holy city of Jerusalem were rebuilt. The return of Ezra to Jerusalem in 458 B.C. was another crucial step in the fulfillment of God’s plan.

About fifty-eight years elapsed between the events of Ezra 6 and the beginning of Ezra’s story in chapter 7. Those years are silent in the book of Ezra, but not in the Bible. The king who ruled in Persia before Artaxerxes was Xerxes, who played a very prominent role in the story of Esther’s heroism in rescuing the Jewish people from annihilation. The events of that book concerned Jewish exiles who chose to stay in Persia rather than return to Israel, which many Bible commentators believe was an act of disobedience against God.

But Ezra had a different spirit. We learn that this godly man was a descendant of Aaron, which established his right to function as a priest and teacher (vv. 5–6). This would become important later when Ezra acted to rid the exiles of sin in their midst. Ezra also knew the Word of God and lived it, which was one of the most important features of his life. Being “well versed” in the Scripture means that Ezra was skilled in understanding God’s law and explaining it to others.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Ezra’s commitment to know and live God’s Word was one reason for the impact he had for the Lord in his time.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ezra 7:11-28
Those who honor me I will honor. - 1 Samuel 2:30
TODAY IN THE WORD
According to a recent newspaper story, some local governments of the United States have come up with a variation on the idea of prepaid expenses. The new initiative includes prepaid traffic tickets, which means putting money on deposit with the local authorities so that if you are stopped for speeding, your ticket has already been paid. Some people, bothered by the idea, see it as giving drivers permission to speed.

Those who object to the concept of prepaid speeding tickets have a point. Human nature is such that it’s hard to be good and it’s easy to abuse a privilege when the bill has already been paid. All of the expenses for Ezra’s trip back to Jerusalem, and his ongoing needs in Israel (and then some), were “prepaid” by the generosity of the Persian king Artaxerxes. Ezra carried with him a sizable wealth that had been entrusted to his care, and he didn’t abuse this privilege.

That’s worth noting, because the letter of authorization that Artaxerxes gave to Ezra also granted him and his fellow Jews permission to use “the rest of the silver and gold” in any way they chose. But the king added that this must be done “in accordance with the will of your God,” a condition that we can safely say Ezra would have followed anyway because of his faithfulness to the Lord.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
How much can God trust you with, and how far can He trust you with it? We’re not necessarily talking about money, although that’s part of a Christian’s life management. The three Ts–time, talent, and treasure–are a good way to summarize the “stuff” of life that God has given us. Are you using these gifts to bless Him and serve others? Paul said, “It is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1 Cor. 4:2). Turn this verse into a prayer that God will help you be faithful with all of your resources.