Seize the Moment – Day 980

Be an Unlikely Hero!

Ezra 1

 

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, November 22.

 

The book of Ezra begins exactly where the Chronicler left off – with the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy that after seventy years Israel would return to Jerusalem from Babylonian exile. Interestingly, God’s hero of the first chapter of this post-exilic history book is not an Israelite, but a Persian king named Cyrus, who, after conquering the Babylonian Empire, was moved by God to “build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah” (2 Chronicles 26:23; Ezra 1:2). Cyrus was an unlikely hero!

 

The first temple in Jerusalem was constructed by Solomon, and it was destroyed by the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar, some four hundred years later. As you learned from our journey through the Kings and Chronicles, those centuries were filled with division and devastation as Israel struggled to worship God with pure devotion.

 

But God, in His great compassion, redeemed Israel and chose to give them another chance. God did so by utilizing the resources at His disposal – real people in real history. In Ezra 1:3, Cyrus the king of Persia decreed to the remnant of Israel in Babylon, “Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let 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.”

 

If it wasn’t for this unlikely hero, God’s people would have been left in exile. If it wasn’t for this pagan ruler, God’s Word, through His prophet Jeremiah, would have failed. But that’s impossible because God promises that His Word “will not return to Me empty” (Isaiah 55:11). God uses real people in real history to bring about his purposes. That means God can use you.

 

Seize the moment and be an unlikely hero in your world today. You never know how one faithful act of obedience could change history for a person, or a people.

 

God bless you!

 

If you would like to receive a personal phone call today, all you have to do is dial the phone number below right now and one of us will call you soon.

 

YOUTUBE:

If you prefer a video, Pastor Jerry reads his devotion on YouTube as well. Click HERE to visit the page.

Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.
 
 

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