October 31st, 2016
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

God Moves Hearts

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

Father, please give me the sensitivity to know when You move my heart or the hearts of those around me to accomplish Your will.

Read Ezra 1:1–11

[1] In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing: [2] “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. [3] Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. [4] And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.'” [5] Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites-everyone whose heart God had moved-prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem. [6] All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings. [7] Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god. [8] Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. [9] This was the inventory: gold dishes 30

silver dishes 1,000

silver pans 29

[10] gold bowls 30

matching silver bowls 410

other articles 1,000

[11] In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along with the exiles when they came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Meditate

Is it easier to move a mountain or a human heart? Only God can move hearts.

Think Further

Sometimes God acts directly. For example, he created the world, delivered his people from Egypt with miraculous plagues and performed healings on people who were disabled or had incurable diseases. But at other times, God moves in quieter, more subtle ways: no voice from heaven; no parting of the waters; no breathtaking healings of disabilities. Why does God work in a variety of ways to accomplish his will on earth? And which is more difficult for God—performing a miracle or simply controlling natural processes?

 

God moved the heart of Cyrus, an unbelieving Persian king, to send his people back to their homeland (1). Isaiah prophesied: “Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,” and of the Temple, “Let its foundations be laid”’” (Isa. 44:28). Clearly, God appointed Cyrus to send his people back to Judah, their homeland. But God also moved the hearts of his people to return to Judah, to build the Temple and to reestablish the Jewish calendar of annual holy days and regular Sabbaths (5). God moves Cyrus’s heart to send his people and moved the hearts of his people to go. That’s amazing. No wonder the mission started off without a hitch. The Creator of hearts moved them to accomplish his will. God uses people—whether devout God-fearers or powerful and unbelieving kings—to accomplish what he effortlessly could have done without them.

 

Understanding how God works his will in this passage leaves us with one question: how is God moving our hearts? God does not always perform breathtaking miracles. More often than not, he moves the hearts of people, believing or unbelieving, to do his work in this world. Although we call this God’s providence, it is no less spectacular than miracles. And it is no less loving. It’s just different. 

Apply

As you reflect on how God works, ask yourself what God might be moving your heart to do for his glory in this world.

Closing prayer

Heavenly Father, please move my heart so that I can join with others in doing Your will on earth for Your glory.

Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.

© 2024 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.

Encounter with God is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.

View all readings

Get ENCOUNTER:

in your email:

in Print:

Become a Member | Visit our store