I address my verses to the King…
Filed in NHL |Woke up at 4 a.m.
Thought about mama this morning. I miss her so much. Could write a book about Grace Williams Carver. Maybe some day. I have thought about this a number of times.
Know what makes these early morning meditations extra special? The notion of death has never frightened me. My walk with the Lord continues? under His direct supervision. Been that way from the time I first met Him.
However, this is what I think about at times. Lord, either you are preparing me for my journey home; or, you are preparing me to have a greater voice to this generation. Seems like the latter is what the Lord is saying. In either case, ‘It is well with my soul.’
6:40 a.m. - No paper yet. Sometimes CJ and I will take our morning walk a bit too early.
6:45 a.m. - Well, it is time for my audience with the King of glory. This is always the best time of the day for me. Can’t wait to hear what He will share.
Ok - You’ve convinced me. I will let you in on some of? my devotion this morning. My readings are? from Ezra chapter 4, verse 3, to Ezra chapter 7, verse 10. (I’ll only highlight on certain? Scriptures.)
There has been a return to Jerusalem by Ezra and a goodly number of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. (Other tribes mix in.) It is time to rebuild the temple.
The inhabitants of the land want to get in on the mix. Their motives are ulterior. What they want to do is frustrate whatever the Lord is doing towards Jerusalem and the temple.
Isn’t this always the case with the spirit of the world? Satan will do anything he can to keep prophecy from being fulfilled. Wonder why he even tries? Guess it all comes back to his evil nature.
5:2 - “… then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them supporting them.”
The prophets of God are Zechariah and Haggai.? Each has a book in the Old Testament. If we were reading the Bible in chronological order, it would be good to read those books along with Ezra.
However, there is a point to be made concerning Zerubbabel and Jeshua [Known as Joshua in the book of Zechariah]. They? represent far more than we know.
Let’s hear? from the book of Zechariah: “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire.
“Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, ‘Remove the filthy garments from him.’ Again he said to him, ‘See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.
Now we go to Zechariah 3:8,9; “Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you–indeed they are men who are a symbol, for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch … and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.” (Cf. Zechariah 3:1-9 nasb.)
The symbol here points to? Jesus Christ and the work of the cross. The iniquity of the world would be removed in one day. The one sin in place against the world, is the sin of rejecting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Ezra…
5:5 - “But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they [the enemy] did not stop them…”
The eye of God is a special Hebraism in the former testament. The? Hebrew word for ‘pupil’ literally speaks of ‘the apple of the eye.’ Expanded definition is? ‘the little man,’ or ‘the daughter of the eye.’ The idea is of God’s great favor and love for the object of His eyes. Did you know that all believers are apples of God’s eyes?
5:11 - When the enemy brought the builders to task over the temple, this is what they heard: “We are servants of the God of heaven and earth and are rebuilding the temple that was build many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.” (Solomon.)
Notice that they called themselves ’servants of God.’ This has been my lot ever since the Lord separated me from my mother’s womb. (Every servant of God should be able to say this.) And the Lord gave me a wonderful ’servant’s wife.’
King Darius had the archives searched to see where Jerusalem and the temple fit in properly.
6:2 - “… a scroll was found…”
He found what he needed. Cyrus had made provision for the temple to be rebuilt. But I have a second point here. What happens to our lives when we ‘rediscover’ the scrolls of the Lord? Why do we let religion try to tell us what the scrolls have to say? Why not read for ourselves the decrees of the great King.
Here is a Scripture that I dearly love; “On that day the deaf will hear words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. The afflicted will also increase their gladness in the Lord, and the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 29:18,19 nasb)
The book is the gospel story.? Have you heard the words of the book?
Darius went about commanding that the temple work go forth. He commanded the [enemy] peoples of the land to pay for the cost. He threatened to impale anyone who dared hinder the? work.
How? we need to understand this. No one can successfully become an enemy of the Lord.
Gary Fisher has often asked me to write a book on how Christian Challenge was built. After all he was there from the beginning. Perhaps some day. But how do you write about something that can only be lived.?
The Lord spoke through Isaiah, saying, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways … For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8,9 nasb.)
This is why the apostle told us not to judge anything before the time.? God alone knows the thoughts of all men. God alone is in charge of history and of our future. Do I believe in predestination? Absolutely.
Ezra 7:10 - “For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.”
Where have you set your? heart?
This pretty much takes care of my devotion this morning. I hope something found therein has been inspiring to you.
6:40 a.m. Just sitting here taking in the ambiance of the Lord.?
6:45 a.m. Time for my journey to the parsonage office. After I empty the dishwasher. Every prophet must do his manly chores.? ? :)
Here’s a thought that came to me as I sat down in the office - “The most important moment of our life will always be, ‘Now.’” How is your ‘now’ doing?
10:10 a.m. Back to the church office to pick up a few more of my books. Some books are more straw and grain. The only books that I’ve brought to my parsonage office are ‘grain’ books. I’ve moved? a fourth or less of my library.
11:10 a.m. - Call from Lane in Hawaii. Having a? wonderful time, but a cloud came over the group yesterday. They were climbing (perhaps stairs) and noticed an older gentleman who had slowed down in front of them. Thought he was allowing them to pass.
Next thing you know the gentleman is having a heart attack. Martha set in trying to help him. (She works for a heart doctor.) An ambulance made it to the scene. They were still working with the elderly man when our group needed to leave. Hope he made it.
What does this tell us? It tells us that life is measured in breaths. A person could be gone in the twinkling of an eye.? Paul said,
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10 nasb.)
Paul is not addressing the judgment seat of sinners. He is speaking of the ‘bema’ of Christ, where rewards are given according to our activities on earth.
Well, Lane leaves for home this evening. Will be Sunday afternoon before they make it in.
It’s almost noon. Think I’ll go ahead and close out my? journal? for today. Talk with you later.
Love always,
Buddy
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