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Devotional
Weekly Bible Devotion By Books
Apri 10-15, 2023
Enter the Presence of the Lord
(M) Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
(All)I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
(W)You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
(All) Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
(Psalm 32: 1, 5, 7, 11)
Adoration
Forgiving Lord, thanks and praises to you for the gift of forgiveness. You set us free from the bondages and pollutions of sin and transgressions. You unload the weight of pains, tears, worries on us. You lead us to taste the newness and freshness in our most inner beings. You give us to see the hope of possibilities in our future. Yes, the joy and peace like river flow to us. Thank you for the precious gift of forgiveness. Amen.
Scripture Reading: Ezra 8:21; 10:1; 16-17
8:21 There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.;
10: 1 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly.
10: 16-17 So the exiles did as was proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, one from each family division, and all of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to investigate the cases, 17 and by the first day of the first month they finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.
Thoughts to share What does it take to rebuild a life?
Modern sciences observe that the rebuilding a life after a migration, or a trauma, or a tragedy takes lots of work and years of time. The book of Ezra is a collection of the rebuilding stories that the exilers returned to their homeland Jeusalem. Ezra led this reconstruction work.
According to traditional understanding, Ezra was the far decedents of ancient priest Arron. His parents were probably among the exilers when the Temple and city Jerusalem were destroyed and the Judah people were taken to Babylonia. Ezra was probably born in Babylonia and the citizen there. He grew up during those years when the first wave of exilers returned to home. He assimilated with Babylonian local people well. He was able to serve in palace. Like most Jews in his time, he was still raised and nurtured in good Jewish culture. He had a great affection toward that faraway home land and its culture. He enevfully became a scriber. He was chosen to continue and complete the rebuilding the war-torn Temple in Jerusalem and to teach the Law. He had passion to carry out this assignment. Luckily, he was sent out with the Decree of the King, support of the governors in the west of river, and material blessings. He led the second waves of exilers to return to Jerusalem. It seems that all were planned well ahead. The journey lasted for 6 months.
How did Ezra carry out this rebuilding work? Firstly, He sought out the descendants of Levites among exilers. Secondly, he fasted and prayed for a safe journey. Thirdly, once they arrived. He heard the sins of those early returners: intermarriage with local Canaanites and worship their gods and godlessness. He gravely sorrowed for what he heard. He shockingly realized that those returned exilers had not returned to the right center, though they returned to the land. In order to rebuild the future of these people, he must do one thing. He confessed sins on behalf of the returners in Jerusalem. He assembled the people and called out for repentance of all. He decided to search out all sins among the people. He boldly posted their names on record. It took three months to seek out all offenders against God’s Law.
Strangely, that offenders’ list was kept in the Bible under the inspiration and supervision of the Holy Spirit. What can we learn from here? Firstly, the word of God leads to the peace and life which we desire so much in our existence. Devoting to God with whole heart is shown in the choice and decision in our everyday life contexts. Secondly, we must treat sins and faults seriously. Repentance starts with knowing what we did wrong in the light of the word of God. It takes time to figure out all that went wrong. True repentance often involves praying, weeping, confessing, and one's total humility before God. Fourthly, sin must be named, recognized first. It can be so removed forever!
In Ezra times, the returned exilers were still put under the Law in God’s plan. They continued to struggle the same thing from their world, just like their ancestors did. They lacked an effective way to resolve the sin once for all. When the time was up, Jesus came. He accomplished what the Law could not offer. He died on the cross and let his blood washed away our sins from the root. He resurrected for us to give a new life power to overcome sin and to hold on the choice and decision that honor God. However, returning to God and repenting that demonstrated in the book of Ezra are still the basic disciplines for all who follow Lord at individual level and group level. For us, The Word is alive and has become flesh in the person of Jesus. The living Word Jesus Christ has upheld the written Word in us.
During the Holy Week and Easter season, we are called to be near that cross and by that empty tomb again. The solution of sin has been offered and the power over temptations has been given. For us, we need only to come to return to Jesus Christ, bring our sins and faults, confess and weep at the foot of cross. Let that saving and forgiving grace and living power transform us forever, bringing healing and wholeness to us.
Prayer suggestions
Any sin and bondage inside and outside of you bother and drag you down? Do you desire to rebuild your life? Do you know where to start a brand-new page in life? Is there such a place to start? Do you have control over such a place? Yes! Surely! There is place you can start. There is a way you can be out of the mess in your life. There is a grace and power upholding you. Are you willing to start this first steps?
Lord of our salvation, we return to you. We, as individually and collectively, humble ourselves before you.
Let your Holy Spirit search our entire beings- body, soul, and spirit and show us any grievous way in us. Lead us in the way
everlasting through hearty repentance, weeping and humbling before you. Give us the honesty to look straightly
those offensive facts. Give us the boldness to name our sins and faults. Give us the contriving spirit.
We want to have a fresh start. Help us to rebuild our lives. Thanks. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
Prayer Request
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