The Daily Word: Thursday, August 5th, 2021
Ezra 1:1-2:70
1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5
Psalm 27:7-14
Proverbs 20:22-23
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Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
“Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem.” – Ezra 1:3
Cryus, the king of Persia, was not a Hebrew. He was not one of God’s people! Yet the Lord “stirred up the spirit of Cyrus…so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom” (v 1). In that proclamation, Cyrus affirmed that the Lord God of Israel was the one true God! And he mandated that God’s people return to Jerusalem and rebuild God’s temple. What’s more, this secular king commanded his people to provide offerings for the entire project!
This is the type of moment we need in the United States. What if the Lord “stirred up the spirit” of the President? What if he stirred up the spirits of our leaders in Congress, the governors of our states, and the mayors of our cities to “build the house of the Lord God” (v 3)? What if our secular government mandated a return to worship? What if our elected officials commanded that men and women all over our nation give an offering to God so true worship can be re-established in our country?
If you don’t think it’s possible, you don’t know God! Pray that God would stir up the spirits of men and women in office. Without Jeremiah’s proclamation, King Cyrus would have never been spurred to action. And without you lifting up your voice in prayer, our future is never going to change.
Prayer:
Father, I pray that You would stir up the spirits of our elected officials in the United States. Stir up the spirit of our president. Stir up the spirit of our Senators and Congressional representatives. Stir up the spirit of our governors and our mayors. We need to return to You, Lord! And I pray You would stir up whatever needs to be stirred for that to happen, in Jesus’ name.
© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.