- Now these were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried captive to Babylonia. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town. Ezra 2:1 – In our chapter today there was a lot of names we probably couldn’t pronounce and a lot of numbers being thrown out. It’s easy to skim over and not think much of the names and numbers here. While for us today, maybe deeply studying each name could unearth some great truths to help us, what I want us to remember is each name was a name of a person God sent home. Every number is a group of people God sent home. Every one of their families were taken from their homes and brought into captivity, yet here God is setting them on a course back home. If I did my math right, today we read about God doing 49,897 miracles. Where God saw their need, stepped into their life, and gave them the miracle they needed. Just keep in mind the God we worship today is this same God. The God who sees captivity as something He can free us from and can take us home. I love you, but Jesus love you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1274
- Some of the heads of families, when they came to the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, made freewill offerings for the house of God, to erect it on its site. 69 According to their ability they gave to the treasury of the work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver, and 100 priests’ garments. Ezra 2:68-69 – The exiled people of God have arrived home, and now they have come to the spot where the temple once was. In front of them is a pile of rubble where the temple used to be, but instead of grumbling and complaining about the rubble-state of the temple, people stepped up to see the future begin. Leaders in the group gave what they could to begin the work of the rebuild. Yes, they saw the rubble like everyone else, but they also saw the potential and they sacrificed to bring that potential into being. Think now about the church home you’re a part of. Hopefully it’s not literally in a rubble state like the temple was in Ezra’s day, but maybe it’s not doing so great right now. From what you can, what can you give to begin the rebuild? Can you give a listening ear to those hurting? Can you be a stopper to the gossip when it comes your way? Can you serve even in places that aren’t your first pick to help fulfill a need? What can you sacrifice to see the building of your church home continue? Until a church stops making church about them, but about God and other’s coming to know Him, a church will remain in a rubble state. If though you want to see a church healthy, thriving, and together, it starts with being faithful with what God has blessed us with. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2495
Daily DEVO 