Fri.’s Devo - God’s Decree

Read: Ezra 4:24-6:22; 1 Corinthians 3:5-23; Psalm 29:1-11; Proverbs 20:26-27 The Jews had stopped work on the Temple but God sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to tell them to start building again. So, in the second year of King Darius’ reign, they did. People around Jerusalem got wind of what they were doing so the governor and his officials from the province to the west came to question who had given them the authority to build. They wanted a list of the names of all the men working on the Temple…just as a little intimidation. They told them that they were sending a letter to King Darius to get his ruling on the building. God was with them and they were able to keep building until the answer came back from Darius. Darius found the decree that Cyrus had given many years before and found that they were to fund the building and help in any way possible. Darius upheld the decree and told the ones who had reported it that if they hindered their work and didn’t help them then they would be impaled on a board taken from their own house. Needless to say there was a huge attitude change in the governor and his officials and great rejoicing for the builders of the Temple. They finished on Adar the second which was a month before Passover. It was dedicated on Passover with a huge celebration of sacrifices and joy. God has made a decree over America that it will be a land of the free and he is watching over his word to perform it. In Corinthians, the people were putting too much importance on the people they were following and their favorite ministers. Paul kept pointing them back to God. God was the only one who could actually change a heart. Paul had planted seed and Apollos had watered the seed, but God had made the seed grow. Paul and Apollos were just workers who would be rewarded for their labor, but God is the owner of the field and we are all buildings in his field. Our house is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ. We are the ones who build up the walls and put the furniture in it. We can use gold and silver or hay and straw. Gold and silver is wisdom only gotten from God and his Word. Hay and straw is what man does in his own strength. In the end, our building will be tested by fire and whatever is left is what we will be rewarded for. We are building this temple inside us to house the Holy Spirit. Lord, we praise you for your mighty and wonderful plan for us. Thank you that when you make a decree you follow it through.