KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Chapters: Ezra 4-6, Psalm 137
Message: Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled
Hello My Friend,
The one thing that is probably the most frustrating about being a Christian is that as soon as you start to do something for God you are hit with all kinds of opposition and even persecution. All you try to do is the things God calls you to do, but all people who want nothing to do with God try to stop you. What are we to do? We keep going. It does not matter how long it takes, we are going to get discouraged sometimes, but we are not alone. Jesus is with is, He has our back, and He will see us through. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” – John 14:27.
You can be sure that once God has called you to do something that there is going to be some opposition, sometimes even to the point that you are forced to stop what you are doing. As we know, God had released Israel from their captivity, it was time to rebuild the temple, an altar was built and the foundation was laid, it was time to start working on the building, As Ezra and other volunteers began rebuilding the walls, here comes the opposition, and it did not take long before they conspired to have the king stop them from continuing.
“Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel; Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings. We certify the king that, if this city be builded again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river. Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the river, Peace, and at such a time. There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was paid unto them. Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until another commandment shall be given from me.” – Ezra 4:1,4-6,13,16-17,20-21.
“by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river.” The devil wants to get the world to believe they will not prosper if churches are built. This is all false, and let me tell you, the world prospers when it is in the hands of Christians. Go through the true history books and you will see that this is a nation that was founded and built on hard working Christians, its fall has nothing to do with us not paying our share, but in their own inability to get off their lazy butts and work themselves. Yes, I said it, and it is true. Yes, there are some hard working people of the world, and perhaps they will heed the call of Christ telling them they need to be saved, but the majority of them are not only lazy, they live in the lusts of their flesh, want everything handed to them, and could care less about God. “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” – Romans 1:28-32.
All the opposition and discouragement can truly trouble our heart, but we we cannot let the world stop us from doing what God has called us to do. Yes, we are going to have opposition and some set backs all the way, but we must never be afraid to keep trying nor stop trying. For fourteen years the temple remained unfinished while the Jews attended to rebuilding the city. It took the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to remind them that they had not finished the temple and it was time to get back to work. This time God had their back.
“Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them. Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them. At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall? Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building? But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter. Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands. And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up. Now therefore, if it seem good to the king, let there be search made in the king’s treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that a decree was made of Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.” – Ezra 5:1-5,8,11,17.
“God was upon the elders of the Jews,” The elders were telling him that God gave them the authority to continue the work of rebuilding the temple. Our very own Vice President was ridiculed for saying that God speaks to him, the world is clueless when it comes to our faith, but God will not be mocked or let His people be mocked, we will always get the victory. The king did, in fact, make a decree stating that the Jews were free to continue their work, much more than that he sent them provisions and even made it an appoint to make sure they had all the daily sacrifices necessary to worship God with.
“Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a roll, and therein was a record thus written: In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits; Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shetharboznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence: Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place. Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered. And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.” – Ezra 6:1-3,6-8,14.
“according to the commandment of the God of Israel,” You see, sometimes it is God who actually slows us down a bit, these men were set on keeping them from doing their work, had God not intervened and got them to do some research they would have never discovered the original degree and the temple would have never been rebuilt. Everything really is in God’s time, we may never understand why we face such opposition even when we are doing everything right, but we can be sure that none of our labor for Him is never vain. “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.” – Titus 3:8-9.
Fear, hindrances, and discouragement can trouble our hearts to serve God and out a stopping halt to it, that is where other faithful and stronger Christians come in. Those who are a little stronger in their faith, have been where you are, and are there to give you some encouragement and get you back up again. We need to be encouraged, it is our only hope that this life we are living will ever be worth staying in. After the temple was completed everyone got together, even the one who were hiding themselves from all the wickedness, and observed Passover, it was the first time since their captivity that it had been observed, and they all rejoiced.
“And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month. For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves. And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, did eat, And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.” – Ezra 6:19-22.
“for the LORD had made them joyful,” There really is no greater joy than doing God’s work and seeing it finished. When life troubles our heart from doing the things that even God wants us to do, we cannot throw in the towel and give up, we must keep going. God is with us, He really is, and the times you think that He is no where to be found, that is when He is preparing us and making things ready for us. Never forget that the things we do for God have nothing to do with what we getting on earth, it has everything to do with what we are getting in His Kingdom. Never let the trials of this life take away your joy in knowing that one day, it will all be over, and we will be with Jesus. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.” – John 14:1-4.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.” – Ezra 6:22.
Today’s Prayer: God, I know that You have work for me to do, but I also know that life can trouble my heart to keep me from doing that work. Lord, I will not let my heart be troubled by the constant opposition that comes my way, I want all of Your blessings, I want to serve You according to Your Word, Lead me, guide me, and give me Your power to learn, discern, and endure all those who oppose me. Keep me safe, protected, and uplifted so that I can finish Your work as I know that none of it is vain. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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