This chapter introduces Ezra the priest, a direct descendant from Moses’ brother Aaron. He is commissioned by the current king of Persia, Artaxerxes, to take whatever resources God desires to Judah. He is to ensure that the people of God know and uphold the law, of which he is the chief scribe / keeper.
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.” (v27-28)
Not only does the King Artaxerxes uphold what his predecessors (Cyrus & Darius) put into place, he adds statutes regarding the teaching and upholding of the Mosaic Law. What a massive blessing this is to the people of Israel/Judah. God’s temple is being rebuilt at the cost of their would-be enemies, every need is being met, and the law is being promoted by gentiles – this is only possible through a loving God who has limitless power. It’s no wonder Ezra praises God for his steadfast love.
Have you seen the blessing of God in your life in the past? How about recently? How about right now in this moment? If you’re anything like me, it’s easy to see God’s blessing in the past, even if was the recent past. It can become difficult to see His blessing in the current moment, however.
Why is that? For me, I can be blinded by circumstance and situation – I’m so focused on the hard things in front of me, I lose focus of the blessings, like how God is working in that moment.
I encourage us, myself included, to try recognizing God’s blessing in real time, in the present moment. Though there’s nothing wrong with praising Him for His past works, I find it’s more powerful to praise Him in the middle of the current moment, especially if it’s a time of difficulty. Just as so many people in the Bible, including Jesus, praised God in the middle of tough circumstances, we too can learn to praise Him in the moment.
Father God, our Steadfast and Loving Lord, You bless us each and every moment of every day. May we learn to lean into this blessing in the easy times, and especially in the hard ones. May we learn to praise you in the storm, when the seas are roughest. Please continue to be our rock and our anchor when the water is neck-deep. Please help us to seek and honor You when we’re struggling, so we may grow deeper in relationship with You, and weather the storm. We trust that when the storm passes, we will be stronger and even more joyful because of our stronger bond with You. We seek to honor, praise, and glorify You right here, right now, and in each passing moment from this day forward. Amen.
~ Conqueror in Training