AUGUST 23 READING…EZRA 3-5 & HAGGAI 1-2
It will always be true that when a follower of God attempts to fulfill God’s call and mission for their life, they will have opposition. It is the way of both the world, and the religious community. We need to remember to be obedient to the call of God. But, a word of warning…be careful of two things. First, make sure that the call you are responding to is from God. We assume at times that what we want to do equates to what God has called us to do…this is not necessarily always so. Second, we need to be careful not to get caught up with a “martyr” complex. That is, we assume that our angst, our suffering, even our pain is a badge of our dedication to the Lord, and proves our position is right, and is above other’s positions. Ezra is working with Zerubbabel to get the Temple rebuilt. They face opposition, they initially get the foundation started, but have to stop because of the opposition. It takes time for them to clarify the authority to rebuild to those who oppose them rebuilding the Temple. Though it was hard for them, they went forward with patience, knowing that this was the Lord’s plan…so it would be accomplished. We don’t have to force the Lord’s will to happen… if it is from the Lord, it will happen. In Haggai the concern is that the new Temple does not compare to the Temple of Solomon. But God has a promise to give to Zerubbabel that the day would come when the second Temple would be more glorious than the first…and prophetically that the “latter” Temple would be more glorious than any earthly building. Paul reminds us that we are the Temple of God, and in being so…the Spirit of the living God would always live and abide in us.
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TOMORROW’S READING…PSALM 126 & EZRA 6-8
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