Choosing Faith Over Fear

Ezra 4:4-5 (NIV)

Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus King of Persia and down to the reign of Darius King of Persia.

Ezra 6:3 (NIV)

In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem: Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid...

When Tattenai, the Persian governor, and his associates questioned the Jews’ authority to rebuild the temple, through God’s help, the re-building continued while answers were sought and the letter from King Cyrus was found granting permission to continue the work. And once again, the Jewish people put faith over fear.

Sometimes it feels like my faith needs to be rebuilt. When life gets busy or problems arise, and I forget my priorities; the foundation of my faith suffers. Like Proverbs 25:28, I’m like a city whose walls are broken down.  Having no self-control to keep the enemy at bay, I am incapable of taking advantage of the protection I have in my salvation and God's Word.

The builders of the temple worked through their discouragement. They didn’t stop but kept on going.

Their goal: Obedience

Lord, thank You for teaching me to honestly confess those times when my faith is lacking, and I forget to look to You. Help me, through the Holy Spirit, to never forget that You are my Redeemer.

My goal: Seek First the Kingdom of God