Daily Verse Devo - Ezra 7:27-28

"Praise the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who made the king want to beautify the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem! And praise him for demonstrating such unfailing love to me by honoring me before the king, his council, and all his mighty nobles! I felt encouraged because the gracious hand of the Lord my God was on me. And I gathered some of the leaders of Israel to return with me to Jerusalem."

-Ezra 7:27-28 (NLT)

Ezra's not the most popular book in the Bible, but it does give us an interesting look into the rebuilding of the Temple.

As we talked about yesterday, God warned Solomon that the Israelites would be taken captive and their temple defiled if they chose to remain in rebellion against God. Sure enough, that happened.

King Cyrus of Persia felt God calling him to build the Temple at Jerusalem. He allowed any Jew who wanted to help rebuild the Temple to return to Jerusalem.

Ezra not only praised God for the opportunity to rebuild the Temple, but He also praised God for honoring him before the high officials. Ezra said that he felt encouraged because God's hand was on him.

There's no doubt that Israel had been thrown into unimaginable circumstances. They had been removed from their land, from the presence of God, and they had no control. Yet in the midst of the punishment for their rebellion, God still cared greatly for His people.

How do you feel to be far from home or loved ones? It's hard enough when college or a job calls us away. I can't imagine just being completely taken away from everything you knew by force.

Though separation is difficult, the hope of reuniting can keep us going.

One of the most beautiful things is hearing stories of soldiers returning home to their families. After so long apart, the reunion is absolutely beautiful.

Ezra got to be a part of rebuilding the Temple and returning to Jerusalem. After years of captivity, he was able to see something good. He could finally come home and help in efforts to take back the land of Jerusalem.

Right now, you might be in captivity - to a career, an abusive relationship, a health issue, etc. But know that God has a glorious plan beyond your captivity. Through the Spirit, we can live in complete freedom.

It may take time for a reunion or a release from captivity, but the end is so worth it. God truly loves us and wants to encourage us.

#ezra #reunion #freedom #captivity