Ezra 1:1 & 5 – The Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia… 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.
If you’ve ever moved, you know that there is a lot involved in the process. Packing is probably the hardest part. You have to sort through years of accumulated stuff and decide what’s valuable and what’s junk, what you should keep and what you should toss.
The book of Ezra starts with a major move. God moves Cyrus’ heart to have the temple in Jerusalem built and then He moves the people’s hearts to go build it. It’s important to notice that this move is not just about changing locations, but about changing priorities. It’s not about finding a new home, it’s about embracing a new purpose. It’s a heart move, not a house move.
In Matthew 16:18, after Peter confessed Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus told him that on this confession of faith, “I will build My church.” When we confess Jesus as Lord, we should experience a move in our hearts. When that happens, it requires us to sort through the plans, priorities and preferences we’ve accumulated throughout the years and reevaluate what is truly valuable.
Has God moved your heart to build His house yet? Has there been a shift in priorities to things like sharing your faith, being in a home gathering, serving in a ministry, and giving to missions? Ask Jesus to help you sort through things.
If you’ve ever moved, you know that there is a lot involved in the process. Packing is probably the hardest part. You have to sort through years of accumulated stuff and decide what’s valuable and what’s junk, what you should keep and what you should toss.
The book of Ezra starts with a major move. God moves Cyrus’ heart to have the temple in Jerusalem built and then He moves the people’s hearts to go build it. It’s important to notice that this move is not just about changing locations, but about changing priorities. It’s not about finding a new home, it’s about embracing a new purpose. It’s a heart move, not a house move.
In Matthew 16:18, after Peter confessed Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus told him that on this confession of faith, “I will build My church.” When we confess Jesus as Lord, we should experience a move in our hearts. When that happens, it requires us to sort through the plans, priorities and preferences we’ve accumulated throughout the years and reevaluate what is truly valuable.
Has God moved your heart to build His house yet? Has there been a shift in priorities to things like sharing your faith, being in a home gathering, serving in a ministry, and giving to missions? Ask Jesus to help you sort through things.
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