Fortified Faith

Encounter: 

Pause. Take a moment to close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Thank the Holy Spirit for God’s ongoing, continual presence with you today, especially in those moments when you weren’t fully aware of His presence and even in those moments when perhaps you wish He wasn’t present. Breathe deeply in the grace of His presence and the mercy He extends to us in our finitude.

Before you dive into Scripture, pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal, correct, and sustain any change the Word stirs in your heart as you read.

Reflect:

Let's set the scene. Throughout our 730 Challenge readings for this week we see a number of things happening, most of which revolve around God’s promises for His people. Back in the time of Daniel, Ezra, and Haggai, this was set to a specific group of people in the Jewish nation of Israel. God’s promises were being fulfilled, but we have to remind ourselves that many of these promises had just as much pain and sorrow because of the consequences of walking away from God as they did joy and growth in the nearness of choosing to be in intimate relationship with God.

With that in mind, read through Ezra 3:10-13.

In this passage and in the verses/chapters preceding it, we see the fulfillment of God’s promises to bring His people back from exile and the rebuilding of the Temple. How is it the people respond? It's a mixed bag. At first everyone was giving a great shout of praise, but before the praise was said and done, there was also a great deal of weeping. While the passage doesn't explicitly explain why there was weeping, the author of Ezra does explain that those who had seen the first Temple wept at the sight of the foundation of this new Temple.

Nearly anyone can relate to why those older priests, Levites, and leaders wept. They had lived in the incomprehensible glory of the Lord’s presence, which is what the Temple both housed and signified. Yet, those same people had seen the Lord remove His presence from amongst His people and the unfathomable fall Israel experienced in its turning away from Him. Although the contexts between the nation of Israel and our lives today may be strikingly different, what is common between us is the reality that God offers us the opportunity to live life with Him. How we choose to respond to that invitation is based on our relationship with God, our relationship with each other, and our relationship with ourselves.

Earlier this week at ESU we talked about the importance of finding worthy Christians to imitate as they imitate Christ. As we make our way through Israel's return from exile in our 730 Challenge readings, again, this theme of imitating those who have gone before us comes up. What lessons do we take from what we see in the Israelites return? What does both the praise and sorrow of those gathered at the foundation of the new Temple teach us about how we choose to respond to God's invitation to life with Him?

Surrounding ourselves with the community of faith through Christ's Church is vitally important for our individual and communal well-being. Through the example of God's Word, the historic family of faith, and the present day Church, we come to find that we are truly not alone in this journey of life. We are bolstered by God Himself through the Trinity and by the life of His Church, both what we see from history in the Bible and what we see around us today.

Like those worshipers of God who returned from exile and set their hands to the rebuilding of the Temple, when we gather together, setting our hands to the ministry of God in, through, with, and around His Church, our response of worship may stir very different expressions because of how God uniquely intersects all of our lives. Yet, what remains is the reality of God's presence with us - for God alone is the object of our praise. It is in the presence of God and His Church that we find our faith, our life is fortified.

Seeking God's presence alongside you, Pastor Matt

Spiritual Practice: 

Spiritual practices offer creative ways for us to recognize God's presence with us in the midst of our daily spiritual journey. As you consider the questions below, I invite you to journal, or if you're feeling you need a more creative outlet, to sketch or draw your responses. As you record your responses (whether through words or art) be sure to notice the attitude of your heart. Do you feel safe, unsure, or exposed in being vulnerable with God?

Ponder:

1. How is your relationship with God in this season? Are you drawing near to Him or do you feel distant?

2. Does the faith of others have an impact on your own faith in Jesus? If so, how? If not, why might that be?

3. How are you caring for yourself in this season? Do you hear the longings of your soul or are you focused on other people and/or responsibilities leaving little time for self care?

Gather:

1. In your time with your small group, life group, triad, family, or friends, create space to lift gratitude to God for the aspects of safety and security that you feel when you are together.

2. Offer encouragements to one another in the ways that you've seen the love of Christ lived out as you've lived life together in your group setting.

3. Share one thing you are excited about in the next month or two.