Wed.’s Devo - God’s Help

Read: Ezra 5:1-6:22; 1 Corinthians 3:5-23; Psalm 29:1-11; Proverbs 20:26-27
The Jews had stopped building the temple for years but had begun again because of the words of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. They encouraged them that God was with them and that God’s edict meant more than man’s. The governor of the land, Tattenai sent men to ask them who had authorized them to build it. That reminds me of the scribes and Pharisees coming to Jesus and asking him under whose authority did he do miracles. It is rather comical.
Their reply was that they were God’s servants who had angered God years ago and the temple was destroyed and they were scattered. But Cyrus had sent them back to rebuild it with his blessing and the promise of supplies.
Tattenai sent all this information to King Darius and asked him to look into the archives and see if in actuality, Cyrus had issued a decree to rebuild this temple. Darius did just that and found the decree. He wrote back to Tattnai to leave them alone but to supply whatever they needed to finish their work.
If they had never ventured out to do something dangerous and risky, they would have never seen the great deliverance God was going to bring them. I wonder if we miss great things because we are too afraid of opposition or we don’t have all the money or supplies we are going to need. All God wants is for us to start moving toward what is in our heart and he will come with the supply and the deliverance.
They finished building the temple in the month of Adar which is the same month that the Jews were allowed to defend themselves in the book of Esther. It is a month of deliverance for Israel. That Passover season they celebrated the first Passover in the new temple. Passover was a month to celebrate their deliverance from Egypt. We celebrate Passover because of our deliverance from sin by the cross of Jesus.
Paul reminds us that God is building a temple in our hearts and in the earth. He is the foundation and anything that is going to last is built on Him, not a man’s name. We are all to do our part in the building of His name upon the earth.
Lord, help us to move out of faith and not fear. If you are putting on our heart to start something or do something then may we put our yes on the table and start stepping out. You will not disappoint us if it is your plan.