TAKING ACTION. Ezra 1:5-6 Thousands of Jews were in Babylon, brought from another land by conquest and captivity. Each one seemed busy; some skilled with their hands, others capable in business and good at making a profit. But it was clear they didn’t quite fit in. These are God’s people, far from their home—that's why the Lord moved the heart of the king so they would return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.
God moved the hearts of the leaders of the southern tribes, heads of families, priests, and Levites who still longed for the things of God. The needs of the house of God, the promised land, the covenant, and the well-being of God’s people stirred their hearts as God touched their consciences and changed their attitudes. God desires restoration, works behind the scenes, and acts with a purpose.
When God begins to work, there are no limits. He stirs the spirit, causing situations to emerge from unexpected sources; an action by one person can alter the entire course of a nation, often remaining unseen. But when the Lord moves them, there are quite a few. God has a purpose today similar to that of old. He wants His people to be willing to follow His instructions. When it comes to making changes in daily life, God desires willing people to step up and do what is right—rebuilding what has been torn down and restoring His house where His name was once honored.
50,000 people chose to travel 900 miles across barren land, where hostile tribes might attack them, and they gave up what they had in Babylon to focus their minds and hearts on what God wanted. The percentage of those willing to go to Jerusalem, build the temple, and recover what had been left to them as a chosen people was very small.
Change begins inside us as God challenges us about our attitudes, beliefs, and desires. When we become truly aware that we are not our own, since we have been bought with a price, our attitudes and desires change. God works in us to “will and do His good pleasure.” When we are open to doing God’s will, opportunities open up for us to move forward in faith and do things we had never considered before. Our free will is part of what makes us unique. We can make choices based on reason and free will that are beyond the limitations of our bodies and souls. The Holy Spirit “bears witness with our spirits,” and we can choose to respond to God’s revealed will or follow the path of our own will.
Many Jews whose ancestors had been taken captive by the Babylonians had prospered and become wealthy in Babylon. They were still Jews and would have to face that reality during the time of Esther, but they didn’t want to give up all they had—material possessions, pleasure, and comfortable living—in order to start over under difficult conditions in a land they barely remembered. Likely, those who were humble and meek in spirit, who understood the times, moral decay, and spiritual departure associated with prosperity, were the ones who wanted to obey God and follow what He placed in their hearts.
There was no enmity or conflict between the two groups, so those who could not go supported those who would go financially. They provided the things needed for the journey and for building the temple. They used what they had to help others do what they could not do. But the lesson remains: we should not let our comfort, security, and possessions keep us from doing what God wants.
I have read that for every soldier at the front of the battle lines, ten are needed to support him. There is a time when God calls certain people to go to another part of the world to serve Him. In some places, work on a mission field progresses slowly, requiring patience and perseverance. The demands of the work, struggles, prayer, and waiting take a lot of patience before results are seen. For those who can endure a long, slow, steady pace, their faithfulness will be recognized and rewarded later. Those who are anxious, driven, impatient, and action-oriented can be used to support those on the front lines, waiting for the harvest.
“He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bring his sheaves with him.”