Ezra 4:4-6
Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work. They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their plans. This went on during the entire reign of King Cyrus of Persia and lasted until King Darius of Persia took the throne.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Lies… threats… bribery… gossip and rumors…the Bible says all of these things – and more – have gone on since the long before the time of King Cyrus of Persia, who lived from 576 B.C. to 530 B.C. Frustration is nothing new, dear friend!
What HAS changed is JESUS! In the time of King Cyrus, all of these things that discouraged, frightened and frustrated were a distraction at best… causing people to lose focus and wander away from God. In this particular instance, these actions were attempts to stop the building of a temple. But even today, it would be so easy for us to become mired in the problems of the “daily grind” and lose our way… were it not for Jesus.
If you read much of the Old Testament, you will see that people had to jump through some pretty big hoops to stay close to God. They were not able to communicate with Him directly and relied on priests and prophets to intercede on their behalf. They had to burn offerings and sacrifices in order to atone for their sins. You think we have laws now? You should read the Old Testament laws concerning every behavior and action under the sun!
When God sent Jesus, everything changed. Now, not only are we able to communicate directly with Him… Jesus paid for every single one of our sins. No more sacrifices or burnt offerings are needed… no more asking someone else to speak to God on our behalf is required… no more wondering where we stand need happen! Because of Jesus, we have a direct line to God! Today, when we are frustrated, we can tell God how we feel. His Holy Spirit helps us maneuver the challenges that arise in our lives each day and keeps us on track.
There will still be lies, threats, bribery, gossip and rumors… but when these are lodged in our direction, we can talk to God and ask Him to help us handle these things according to His will. And we most certainly do not have to engage in these behaviors ourselves! When we are discouraged, frightened, and distracted, we don’t have to wander away from God and wonder how we will ever manage. All we have to do is humbly ask Him to help us… and He will deliver answers, calm and peace.
People often say that the true celebration of Jesus lies in the Holy Week of Easter, when we remember His crucifixion, death and resurrection… how He took our sins on the cross. But since we are very near the celebration of Christmas, let’s fully revel in Christ’s birth… the fact that God did send Him to rescue us and give us great help - including coping skills for frustration and the devil’s attempts to distract us.
Let’s take time to stop and thank God for offering us such a tremendous sacrifice and opening the door for us to communicate with Him directly. Let’s praise God for loving us so much… for offering us grace, mercy and forgiveness. AND… let’s be sure we accept His great gift! If you have never invited Jesus Christ to be the LORD of your life and fill your heart with His Holy Spirit, I can’t think of a better time to do so!
Don’t waste another minute wandering around in confusion. Embrace the gift of Jesus and let Him help you handle everything. He can… He will. All you have to do is ask.
©2012 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment