AN UNLIKELY ALLY
FOCUSED DETERMINATION: BUILDING A LIFE THAT HONORS GOD IN A WORLD OF OPPOSITION (25 DAYS IN EZRA AND NEHEMIAH) - DAY 1
Winston Churchill loathed Communism, but he fully understood the terror of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime. As a result, he formed an unlikely working relationship with Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union. Who would have imagined these 2 men of diametrically opposing views would become allies?
God’s ways are mysterious, and He often orchestrates the events of our lives in intricate ways that seem highly improbable. Yet, we should not be surprised — because our awesome God likes to show off.
Cyrus was not a follower of the One true God, but the Almighty chose him as His appointed vessel to inaugurate a holy cause. The Lord God of Heaven reigns in authority over all the hearts of men, and the Lord “moves” them as He purposes whenever He pleases. Whatever or whoever may be standing in the way of God’s plan cannot withstand His sovereign rule and will simply be aroused and agitated to act by His providential intervention for His people.
God fights for you, friend. Whatever God wants you to build will most certainly be erected. He might even send you an unlikely ally to pave the way and make it possible.
The people of God during Ezra’s day had lived in exile for fifty years. Some of them had given up hope of returning to Jerusalem and succumbed to the ways of the world, but a small remnant continued to persevere in faith. These hope-filled believers trusted that God would restore all that the enemy had stolen from them.
No matter how much we have lost, we can look to God and live to worship Him wherever He has placed us. Like these displaced Jewish exiles described by Ezra, we can lift up our hands to our Heavenly Father and say, “Lord, we stand prepared to do the work of rebuilding.”
God may be moving you to do the work of restoration in your family or your church. Let your Lord know you are willing, and He will make a way. What the world considers “unlikely,” our amazing God turns into “unbelievable” as He supernaturally moves to restore our lives.
FUEL FOR THOUGHT:
“In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.” (Proverbs 21:1, NIV)