Daily EncouragementSample

These words reveal Ezra’s determination to be consistent with his confession of faith in the Lord. The inconsistency of going back to ask protection from the king when he had testified to the all-sufficient power of the Lord was clear to him, and so such action was unthinkable. The temptation to be inconsistent was undoubtedly real. “I was ashamed . . . ” implies that the possibility of yielding to it had suggested itself. It is comparatively easy to testify to the good hand of God and to his power. It is when we are actually setting out on the journey and facing “enemies on the road” that we are tempted to turn to the help of man. “The Lord will provide” may be our bold affirmation, but the test comes when urgent needs face us and we are tempted to advertise them. Genuine faith in the Lord will inevitably be vindicated, as was the case here: “The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way” (Ezra 8:31). Note how, as always, prayer was the handmaiden of faith: “I was ashamed to ask the king . . . so we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer” (Ezra 8:23).