The Gracious Hand of the Lord

 


  1. Ezra 7:6 – "The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.

  2. Ezra 7:9 – "He arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him."

  3. Ezra 7:28 – "I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me."

Ezra was entrusted with the mission of studying and teaching the Word of God during the process of rebuilding the Temple. God poured into him a heart dedicated to studying His Word (Ezra 7:10), allowing him to observe it, teach it, and lead Israel. Furthermore, through Cyrus, a Gentile king, God provided the necessary resources and brought the right people together.

In Ezra Chapter 7 alone, it is clearly mentioned three times that "the hand of the Lord was upon him." When the hand of God is with us, He uses everyone—whether they are far away, from different nations, or even those who do not yet believe in Him—to accomplish the work of rebuilding His Temple.

Tomorrow, we are preparing for a very important meeting. Church and town leaders will gather to discuss the recovery from the Patten Fire. I earnestly pray that, like Ezra, we may rise up to study God’s Word, keep it, teach it, and rebuild this community together in the unity of the body of faith.

Lord, we pray... 

  • For the Healing of the Sick: Please pray for Penny, Ross, Faith, Karen, Ted, Dickie, and Barbara.

  • For Tomorrow’s Meeting: That God’s wisdom would guide the discussion for the Patten Fire recovery. Everyone who wants to help is welcome!  

  • For this week’s Family Worship: As we hold our first Family Worship of the year, may we worship joyfully together with our neighbors and families.

  • For the New Sermon Series: Pray that the upcoming series on the "Kingdom of God" will lead us to long for His Kingdom even more deeply.

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