meditations for an everyday relationship with Jesus

God’s hand

Ezra 9:8-9 But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the Lord our God to preserve a remnant for us and give us a stake in His holy place. Even in our slavery, God has given us new life and light to our eyes.

Though we are slaves, our God has not abandoned us in our slavery. He has extended grace to us in the presence of the Persian kings, giving us new life, so that we can rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

This is so reminiscent of Paul’s writing in the New Testament: “Though we are slaves, our God has not abandoned us in our slavery.” Such is the declaration in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians in which he proclaims that being a slave to Christ is the ultimate expression of freedom.

Ephesians 6:20 For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough in Him to speak as I should.

If we are slaves in Christ freed even in our chains, then nothing can hold us down. Praise God in all of His glory!

There are times

Ecclesiastes 4:1-3 Again, I observed all the acts of oppression being done under the sun. Look at the tears of those who are oppressed; they have no one to comfort them. Power is with those who oppress them; they have no one to comfort them.

So I admired the dead, who have already died, more than the living, who are still alive. But better than either of them is the one who has not yet existed, who has not seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.

Without a doubt Ecclesiastes is not the first book we read for reassurance unless we know the context and the mindset of the author, King Solomon.

King Solomon was wise beyond mortal understanding, but that wisdom came at a huge price. To have the comprehension of mysteries beyond acceptance of life in the moment, and for the moment, would test any of us to the our limits.

The most simple-minded, and the most obedient among us, are the most content, I believe. This does not go to intelligence or capacity, but to faith. King Solomon knew too much and in that was the root of his cynicism and his fall later in life.

Simple belief is enough to keep most of us fully occupied.