Together - Daily DevotionalSample

Reviving God’s People

Reading: Ezra 7:6-10

Key Verse: “Ezra ... had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month” v.8-9

Dark days had fallen on God’s people. Due to their rejection of Him in pursuit of their own interests and worship of false gods, the Lord had removed His protection from the land. Jerusalem was left in ruins and many of its people forcibly taken to Babylon and then Persia as worker slaves. Eventually God moved king Cyrus of Persia to give permission for the Jews to return to Jerusalem led by Zerubbabel to rebuild the temple. 

Although this was a miraculous release from captivity and glorious reconstruction of the temple, the people were full of enthusiasm but lacked a real understanding of God and His word. Ezra came from the line of the priesthood and had devoted himself to studying God’s word and explaining it clearly. He determined to travel to Jerusalem and rebuild the people spiritually just as they had rebuilt the temple physically. There had already been a cultural revival but now Ezra’s ministry of preaching and teaching sparked a spiritual revival as the people returned not just to the temple of God but to the God of the Temple. When did this all start? On the first day of the first month!

Prayer: Lord, I devote myself be a leader of spiritual revival as I explain Your word to others