Today’s reading Ezra 7-10

Ezra 7:27 Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem:

Though we might see the king working to beautify the house of the Lord we are shown that it was God that put it in his heart. The beauty of serving God is knowing that He is at work in our hearts and lives. He is integrally involved in what we do!

Seek Him knowing that He is already at work in your heart and ministry. You have a hunger to love God and serve Him, you want to be involved in ministering to others! Do you realize that He is at work in you causing you to desire things for Him and His glory.

Why do you think that you want to serve God? Why do you make plans to do something for God?

If you know that God is working on you then act on those godly desires that He put in your heart!

Today’s reading Ezra 3-6

Ezra 6:21 And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, did eat,

They separated themselves from the filthiness of the heathen to seek the Lord. We have been born again. We should separate ourselves from self worship, seek glorying, self seeking, etc to die to ourselves and to live to and for God.

Separation is not from but from and to!

What have you seen as unpleasing to God in your life and separated from, be it thoughts, actions, emotions, etc? How have you given yourself more to the Lord to love and seek Him?

Today’s reading Ezra 1-2

Ezra 1:5 Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.

God stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to build Him a house. Cyrus then asked the people who had felt God move in their lives and motivate them to go and build the house. Some were motivated to give. Others were motivated to go but it seems like all of God’s people took part in the work in one way or the other.

God is at work in our hearts. When you have desires to do something for God then you can know that God is at work in your life. Are you sensitive to Him and His leading? Do you listen to see what He might say to you?

I want to be stirred by Him and I always want to be waiting to hear what He has to say!

Today’s reading II Chronicles 34-36

II Chronicles 34:27 Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD.

Josiah gets mercy from the Lord even in his sin because his heart is tender and he humbles himself before the Lord. He heard what God was going to do and he ripped his clothes, he cried out to the Lord and the Lord heard him.

It was the tender heart and the willingness to humble himself that touched the heart of God. I wonder how often I react in pride thinking I deserve better for myself? I wonder if I have the habit of defending myself rather than examining myself?

God help us to be tender to the leading of your Holy Spirit. Help us to be willing to recognize you as God in all of our lives. God help me stay small in my eyes and always see you as big!

Today’s reading II Chronicles 31-33

II Chronicles 32:8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Hezekiah knew that God was with him and that God would win the battle. He was able to look at all the problems and realize that he was truly helpless yet know that God would be with them. Their fight was not a personal fight but a spiritual fight. It was a fight for the honor and glory of God.

I am afraid that we want to honor and glorify God too often by what we do in the flesh. We little consider Him and the Holy Spirit and what He can and will do. We do not think about the fact that we are in a war for His glory. We want Him glorified in our worship, in our lives, in our obedience, in our preaching, in our church services. It is all about Him.

I want to rely more on Him. I want to realize that I can’t but He can. I want to know that He is fighting in the battles I am in so I must let Him pick my fights!