Skip to main content

Daily Devotion: Ezra 9:5-6

By

Ezra 9:5-6    "And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God, (6) And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens."

If we learn nothing else from the study of Ezra, we can know for sure that Satan has no pity. If he doesn't succeed in one area of life, he backs up and comes from a different direction.

Everything was in place for the work to be completed. They had gone back to the king for affirmation of the work. They had sent for the priests to come with them. They had fasted and prayed to seek the Lord's help. Now they had arrived back in Jerusalem only to find some had inter-married with Canaanites and other enemies of the people.

It seems Ezra has had the wind knocked out of his sails. It could very well have been his thoughts to just give up and forsake the work.  But God had called him to this work and there was no going back. What was he to do?  He was even more determined to seek the help of the Lord.

In the New Testament, James wrote these words:  "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (8) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded." (James 3:7-8)

Have you ever had the wind knocked out of your spiritual sail? Have you ever thought of turning and walking away from the place where the Lord led you?  You can be assured that Satan will try his best to discourage you and cause the work to be discontinued.  But also be assured, the Lord God is greater and we are more than conquerors through our Lord Jesus Christ. He has overcome the wiles of Satan and the lure of the world. We also can overcome through Christ. 

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Daily Devotion: Enter With Thanksgiving - Psalm 100:1-5

By
One of the most beautiful Psalms of Thanksgiving is the 100th Psalm. Please turn to it and read verses one through five. With all my heart I believe we are a people and a nation that has truly been blessed by God. Of all those who “give thanks to Him and praise His name” we should be at the top!  It is not uncommon to compile wish lists at Christmas, and draw up a list of resolutions for the new year. But there is another list we often overlook - a Thanksgiving Day list of all for which we are thankful. What would your list contain? Most likely, a good part would be material possessions. I’m convinced that we would find that we have much more for which to be thankful than just our material possessions.  Like you, I’m sure my list would include the major things - life, health, family, friends, and the nation we live in, despite all its flaws. But even more than that, I’m thankful for my salvation, my Church family, and the mercy that God showers upon us each d...
Read more

Daily Devotion: An Important Question

By
In one of the great Psalms of thanksgiving, the writer asked a most pertinent question. “What shall I render unto the Lord for all of His benefits toward me” (Psalm 116:12) ? We may observe two elements in this question. The psalmist acknowledges having received many benefits, or blessings, at the hand of the Lord. For the believer, to be the receiver of blessings from the Lord is a fact beyond question. That is one facet of a proper perception of reality. However, for the unbeliever, or even for the nominal believer, such things come in the course of nature, or as a matter of deserving them. But to fail to see that such benefits and blessings come from the Lord is to lose touch with reality. The other element of the question is that the writer expresses a sense of obligation to the Lord and reveals a desire to do something in response to the amazing goodness of God to him. It is the reflex of the godly heart to desire to do something in response to the perceived go...
Read more