1 00:00:02,730 --> 00:00:06,730 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,790 --> 00:00:13,580 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening 3 00:00:13,620 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 1: to Daily Devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stonge, and 4 00:00:18,420 --> 00:00:23,470 Speaker 1: today's devotion is inspired by Ezra 1, verse 5, which says, 5 00:00:25,030 --> 00:00:27,670 Speaker 1: Then rose up the heads of the fathers' houses of 6 00:00:27,790 --> 00:00:32,200 Speaker 1: Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone 7 00:00:32,260 --> 00:00:35,700 Speaker 1: whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild 8 00:00:35,740 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem. A 9 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: mission tends to exist in the idea realm until God 10 00:00:44,460 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 1: raises up people to follow through with it. When a 11 00:00:47,820 --> 00:00:52,220 Speaker 1: mission is coupled with action, it finds its fulfillment. In 12 00:00:52,260 --> 00:00:54,860 Speaker 1: the book of Ezra, we read that God spoke to 13 00:00:54,900 --> 00:00:58,060 Speaker 1: his people through the words of King Cyrus, and we're 14 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:01,100 Speaker 1: told that there were people from various stations of life 15 00:01:01,490 --> 00:01:05,750 Speaker 1: who were stirred up to join God's mission. Those who 16 00:01:05,810 --> 00:01:11,730 Speaker 1: did not manually help them rebuild the temple gave them silver, gold, animals, 17 00:01:12,090 --> 00:01:16,480 Speaker 1: and other costly items. They did this freely and joyfully. 18 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:20,759 Speaker 1: And Cyrus gave back the temple vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had 19 00:01:20,900 --> 00:01:25,319 Speaker 1: carried away when he first took the Jews captive. The 20 00:01:25,340 --> 00:01:27,700 Speaker 1: big picture of what was taking place is was that 21 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:32,320 Speaker 1: God was preserving and protecting the Jewish people and their tribes, 22 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:36,120 Speaker 1: including the tribe of Judah, through whom Jesus was going 23 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:40,340 Speaker 1: to come and fulfill the ultimate divine mission for man's redemption. 24 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:44,170 Speaker 1: The words recorded in the book of Ezra aren't just 25 00:01:44,370 --> 00:01:48,430 Speaker 1: isolated historical stories. They give us part of the picture 26 00:01:48,470 --> 00:01:53,190 Speaker 1: of God's intentional and purposeful plan to rescue and redeem 27 00:01:53,230 --> 00:01:59,090 Speaker 1: mankind through Jesus Christ. Jesus, the eternal Son of God, 28 00:01:59,490 --> 00:02:02,930 Speaker 1: was always clear about his mission. The Lord loves us 29 00:02:03,010 --> 00:02:06,280 Speaker 1: too much not to stir us up about it. God 30 00:02:06,310 --> 00:02:08,740 Speaker 1: hasn't called us to be men and women who spend 31 00:02:08,820 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: decades on this earth sitting on our hands or sitting 32 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: on our recliners. He's stirring us up to fulfill his word, 33 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:21,350 Speaker 1: support his work, and partner with him in his redemptive plan. 34 00:02:23,370 --> 00:02:28,350 Speaker 1: Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your word. And 35 00:02:28,370 --> 00:02:30,070 Speaker 1: we thank you for the privilege that it is to 36 00:02:30,090 --> 00:02:32,730 Speaker 1: be able to read this portion of scripture together today 37 00:02:33,130 --> 00:02:36,110 Speaker 1: from the book of Ezra. And Lord, it's interesting to 38 00:02:36,150 --> 00:02:40,130 Speaker 1: watch your hand at work throughout the course of human history. 39 00:02:40,780 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 1: It's clear that you have a mission that you are 40 00:02:43,020 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: accomplishing and fulfilling. And it's also clear that you use 41 00:02:46,700 --> 00:02:49,860 Speaker 1: a variety of people to partner with you in that process. 42 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:53,810 Speaker 1: You're very clear about your missions. You stir us up 43 00:02:53,889 --> 00:02:56,730 Speaker 1: about it. You call us to be people who join 44 00:02:56,770 --> 00:02:59,510 Speaker 1: you in your plan. And you give us the opportunity 45 00:02:59,550 --> 00:03:01,870 Speaker 1: to do more with our lives than just sit on 46 00:03:01,970 --> 00:03:05,290 Speaker 1: our hands. You stir us up to fulfill your word. 47 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 1: You stir us up to support your work. And you 48 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:11,139 Speaker 1: allow us to have the privilege to partner with you 49 00:03:11,260 --> 00:03:14,339 Speaker 1: in your redemptive plan. And we're so grateful that you 50 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:16,380 Speaker 1: do this, Lord, and that we have the privilege to 51 00:03:16,460 --> 00:03:19,639 Speaker 1: join you in what you're accomplishing right now in our midst. 52 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:22,519 Speaker 1: Thank you, Lord, for what you've been doing throughout the 53 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:26,590 Speaker 1: course of human history to rescue and redeem lost people 54 00:03:26,650 --> 00:03:30,290 Speaker 1: through your Son, Jesus Christ. We're grateful for the privilege 55 00:03:30,310 --> 00:03:31,650 Speaker 1: that it is to be able to be part of 56 00:03:31,690 --> 00:03:34,109 Speaker 1: your kingdom and to join you in the work that 57 00:03:34,130 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: you're accomplishing. We thank you, Lord, for all of these things, 58 00:03:37,820 --> 00:03:41,460 Speaker 1: and we pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.