BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY
During devotions I was reading in Ezra about when he was
taking some of the Jews back to Jerusalem to rebuild the city.
They stopped and stayed by the river for three days probably to
number who was in the group and to tell them
about what they were to do on the trip.
I noticed an interesting several interesting things in these verses.
And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava;
and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people,
and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi.
Ezra 8:15
When he checked who was in the group, he did not find any of the
Levites that were the helpers in the temple.
So he sent some of the chief men so
"that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God."
When they arrived back with the men, before they started their journey,
he proclaimed a fast to seek guidance from God
and for His protection for the journey.
Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava,
that we might afflict ourselves before our God,
to seek of him a right way for us,
and for our little ones, and for all our substance.
Ezra 8:21
What then jumped out at me was that possibly the people asked him
to request military protection for the journey, but this is what he said:
For I was ashamed to require of the king
a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us
against the enemy in the way:
because we had spoken unto the king, saying,
The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him;
but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.
So we fasted and besought our God for this:
and he was intreated of us.
Ezra 8:22-23
Ezra had told the king that God would protect them.
Now he was ashamed to go back to the king
and ask for his men to protect him.
And I thought, how often do we pray
for God's protection or guidance and
then not trust Him?
Do we really believe that prayer works?
If so, do we act like it?
The verse for Word Art Wednesday fits in with this thought.
Here is my card for that verse.
Have a great week and as you pray,
remember God is listening and He answers prayer!
