Is the gracious hand of God on you?
Today I read the story of Ezra. This is a small book in the Old Testament, about the story of a man who was in exile (and the exile happened because the people had abandoned the Lord). I started reading and suddenly words were jumping off the page. And then my thoughts connected and guess what: this is still hope for us today too, because God is telling us what He is like! Ezra, even though he was in exile, was well known and liked by the king of Persia. And this is what I read about him:
‘This Ezra was a scribe who was well-versed in the law of Moses, which the Lord had given to the people of Israel. He came up to Jerusalem from Babylon, and the king gave him everything he asked for because the gracious hand of the Lord his God was on him. Some of the people of Israel as well as some of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and Temple servants traveled up to Jerusalem with him in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes’ reign. Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in August of that year. He had arranged to leave Babylon on April 8, the first day of the new year, and he arrived in Jerusalem on August 4, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. This was because Ezra had determined to study and obey the Law of the Lord and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel.’ (Ezra 7:6-10).
That’s what I read that got me excited. See, I am reading the Bible with ‘new eyes’ these days. I am realizing more and more that God never changes! How comforting that is. And that the Old Testament stories give us clues about God. If that is what Ezra experienced, then I can have it too! So, here’s what I noticed:
1-Our choices will determine whether or not God’s gracious hand will be on us. Ezra chose to study the word of God, apply it to his life, and to teach others what he is learning about God. He knew that that was a choice that would honor God, and so God revealed to him that He would protect him. When my marriage was falling apart some years ago, I made bad choices. I didn’t look to God for help, or even try to get to know Him. I blamed Him for what was wrong in my life, because I didn’t really know Him. I had put him aside. And so, my choices were keeping me from really knowing Him and enjoying His favor. But don’t think that’s the end of the story for me or for you, because God is a God who welcomes back sinners! He restores and gives a new start. Now I feel like Ezra. I want to know God and I get to know Him by studying His word: and guess what? It doesn’t even feel like ‘studying’ it feels more like ‘enjoying God and his goodness to me’. We can know if we are living lives that experience God’s favor or not.
2-God gives us signs of His favor when we are walking with Him. Ezra was a subject of a foreign king, an enemy of Israel. But that king gave him everything he asked for! And Ezra knew that that unnatural thing was God’s doing. God gives us signs and we need to be looking for them! He honors us at unexpected times, blesses us in surprising ways, and when He does that, He wants us to sit up and take notice. But if you want to experience this, it starts by falling in love with God. By loving Him with all your heart, soul, and mind. And if you think that sounds impossible, which I also used to think, try this first: look for things to be grateful for and start practicing gratitude to God. Thank Him for waking you up today! When we practice gratefulness, we are also practicing humility, and then we are ready to see ourselves in a right position before God. and once that happens, He will start revealing more and more of Himself to you. He accepts all who turn to Him- no matter what you’ve done, it’s never too late to turn to God.
3-We practice our trust in God’s favor before a watching world. Ezra says this: ‘And there by the Ahava Canal, I gave orders for all of us to fast and pray and humble ourselves before our God. We prayed that he would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled. For I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to accompany us and protect us from enemies along the way. After all, we had told the king, ‘Our God’s hand ofprotection is on all who worship him, but his fierce anger rages against those who abandon Him.’ So, we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and He heard our prayer.’ (Ezra 8:21-23). The king of Babylon was watching to see if Ezra’s words and actions matched. We can’t say we trust God to protect us and then proceed to live in fear as if God doesn’t exist! The world is watching me, and they are watching you. Our kids and grandkids are watching us. Here’s something that helped me when I finally returned to God. I was reading the Bible, and it hit me: God is good! He really is! And He is for me, He is not against me! So, when something bad happens, I look at it differently. God is greater than whatever it is: your broken marriage, broken relationships, job losses, even death has no sting, because we or those we lost who belong to Jesus will live forever in the presence of God! God will take whatever is broken in your life and put it back together in an even more beautiful way. He just wants us to humble ourselves, walk with Him, and wait for his deliverance.
‘How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world. You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who would conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues.’ (Psalm 31:19-20)
‘Come my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help.’ (Psalm 34:11-16)
