Just wanted to share...

I mentioned to small group that I began reading the book of Ezra and I wanted to share with you from today’s chapter. In chapter 4, the enemies of Judah ask the Jews if they can help rebuild the temple & the Jews deny their request. The enemies then HIRE people to deliberately frustrate the Jews plans & discourage them. The enemies even write a letter to the King informing him if the Jews are successful in rebuilding that the King’s revenues will decrease. The letter also stated that if the King searched the archives he would see the Jews have a history of rebellion. So the King orders the rebuilding to cease and the Jews are “compelled by force to stop”.

The enemies paid people to mess up the Jews lives. That seems a little extreme, doesn’t it? But we all know it’s real. How often are people paid off to keep people out of power in government? How often are people paid to keep people out certain zoning areas? How often have we made people mad by not allowing them into our plans or our lives and they have deliberately gathered people on “their side” to discourage us and frustrate our plans? Have you ever felt like you were on the right track only to have someone write a letter to your boss telling them to look closer at your faults? How often are we doing something good for God and then all hell breaks loose? How often are plans that we feel are from God halted by actions (or force) from others?

This is why reading the bible is exciting to me. It shows me that I am not facing anything new. Many have faced and overcame the challenges I experience and I can look to see what they do to overcome. I can evaluate their actions by mine and adjust if so be.  (Not that I will always do as they did to overcome, but you know what I mean).

Just wanted to share this with you all.