Month: June 2025

Not every “yes” honors God. In Ezra 4:1-3, when the surrounding people offered to help rebuild the temple, it may have seemed like a generous gesture. But the leaders of Israel saw through the offer-it was wrapped in compromise. These neighbors had a mixed form of religion, blending worship of the God of Israel with idol worship. The returned exiles knew this wasn’t just about building a structure-it was about building with purity of purpose. So they responded with a strong and spiritual “No.”

Have you ever been in a moment where emotions collided-joy and sorrow, hope and grief-all at once? That’s what happened in Ezra 3:12–13. As the foundation of the new temple was laid, the young celebrated what was beginning, while the older ones wept for what had been lost. Two generations standing side by side-one looking forward, the other looking back-but both expressing something deeply spiritual. God welcomed both their tears and their triumph.

There’s something deeply emotional about starting over. For the exiles returning to Jerusalem, laying the foundation of the temple wasn’t just a construction project-it was a spiritual milestone. As they placed each stone, they were rebuilding hope, renewing worship, and reconnecting with their identity as God’s people. The moment was so powerful that it evoked both shouts of joy and tears of sorrow. Why? Because while the future was bright, the memory of what was lost still lingered.

When the Israelites returned from exile, their city was in ruins. The temple lay in rubble, the walls broken, and the people faced opposition from those around them. And yet, before they lifted a single stone to rebuild the temple, they built the altar. Why? Because worship had to come first. In the midst of chaos and uncertainty, they understood a truth we often overlook: before we build anything-a career, a family, a dream, a ministry-we must build our lives around God.

Imagine arriving home after years away, only to find the place you once cherished lying in ruins. That’s what the exiles in Ezra 2 experienced when they returned to Jerusalem. The temple-the heart of their worship-was gone. But they didn’t just grieve over what was lost; they began to rebuild. And how did the rebuilding start? With freewill offerings. Not mandatory dues or pressured donations, but voluntary gifts given from hearts full of love for God.

Have you ever felt invisible-like your story doesn’t matter, or your name is just another on a long list that nobody reads? Ezra 2 might seem like one of those chapters we skim over. It’s a list of names-family heads, town dwellers, priests, gatekeepers-but don’t miss the beauty of what’s happening here. God was counting the remnant. Every name represented a life, a history, and a choice to return to God’s purpose. Even after years in exile, they were still known and remembered.

There’s something incredibly moving about watching something valuable being returned to its rightful place-especially when it looked like it was gone forever. In Ezra 1:7-11, King Cyrus, stirred by God, released the sacred vessels that had been taken from God’s temple decades earlier. These were not ordinary objects. They were symbols of worship, once used in the presence of God, now returning from exile. It’s a picture of divine restoration-God bringing back what the enemy tried to steal.

There are moments in life when something inside us shifts-a deep sense that God is nudging us, stirring our hearts toward a specific action. It may come during prayer, through a sermon, or in the stillness of an ordinary moment. That’s what happened in Ezra 1:5. After years in exile, God stirred the hearts of leaders and families, prompting them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild His house. Not everyone responded-but those who did stepped into something greater than themselves.

Waiting is hard. Whether it’s waiting in traffic, waiting for a job opportunity, or waiting for a prayer to be answered, our natural instinct is to want things now. But the psalmist’s words in Psalm 27:14 gently nudge us to do something countercultural-to wait on the Lord. Not because God is slow or indifferent, but because in the waiting, He is doing something deeper in us.

Have you ever waited a long time for something you deeply hoped for-so long that you started wondering if it would ever happen? Maybe a job, healing, reconciliation, or an answer to a long-standing prayer? That’s exactly where the people of Judah found themselves. For 70 years, they had lived in exile, far from home, wondering if God’s promises had expired. But Ezra 1:1 reminds us of a beautiful truth: God never forgets His word.