God Rescues the Persecuted
Opening Prayer
Mighty God, You are Lord of all. I may suffer, but in Your good time You will vindicate me.
Read Ezra 6:1-22
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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
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse” (Rom. 12:14). This is difficult to do, but it is a challenge we must aim to keep.
Think Further
Persecution hurts. But persecution ends when God decides it is time. If God determines to rescue his children, no force on earth can stay his hand. Scripture records the dated memorandum, probably because Ezra, as a state-sponsored scribe, had access to it. King Darius’s message to Judah’s adversaries was simple: stay away from Judah… do not interfere with the work of the Temple of God! In fact, although the building project was already funded from regional taxes, now the animals for the sacrifices would be too! God brought Judah’s enemies to their knees through another unbelieving king whose only concern was that Judah offer sacrifices to and pray to God continually.
Judah’s enemies had reported the use of beams in the reconstruction. In a twist of irony, God warned them that if they did not support Judah’s efforts to rebuild the Temple and support the daily sacrifices, a beam would be pulled out of their homes, and God would impale them on it and raze their houses to rubble. Their tattling lies had come back to bite them in full force. When the Temple was finished, God’s people celebrated and reinstituted the system of sacrifices. Not long after, they celebrated the Passover commemorating their forefathers’ deliverance from Egypt. This was a special Passover because God had just delivered Judah from Babylonian bondage. Once again, God’s people were reliving the past and celebrating God’s patterns of faithfulness in their lives.
Sometimes we must suffer for a while at the hands of those who oppose us, but if we will remain faithful and do not seek retaliation, God will vindicate us in time. If we wait faithfully while God works out his plan for us, deliverance will come, and often in surprising ways.
Apply
Once you have done all that you can do to get along with people who persecute you, leave the outcome in God’s hands.
Closing prayer
Lord, I do not like having adversaries. I ask for the gift of Your grace and patience as I wait for You to work out Your will.
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