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Daily Devotion: Ezra 10:1&3

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Ezra 10:1    "Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore."

Ezra 10:3   "Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law."

This concludes our study of the book of Ezra. The temple has been rebuilt. Though it does not have the same glory as the original, the Lord has blessed their work tremendously.  He has provided every need in order for the temple to be completed.

There is a problem though. There is sin that must be dealt with. Though the solution was drastic, they needed to be cleansed of the sin. They made the determination to make a covenant with the Lord to put away the sin of the flesh before approaching Him in worship and praise. We cannot hold to sin and praise unto the Lord at the same time. We have to release one or the other. Jesus said it this way: "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Matthew 6:24)

As we think of this account of the Lord's provision for the temple, may we think of our own lives. Is there anything in our lives for which we need to seek the Lord for forgiveness?

"If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."(1 John 1:6-7)
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

God is faithful and just. He has promised to forgive. Let us seek the cleansing in our lives and in our nation that we may enjoy once again the blessings of our Lord. 

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