God Has Not Forsaken Us

 Scripture:

“Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.”  ‭‭Ezra‬ ‭9:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Observation:

As Ezra was sent to rebuild the Temple, even the people around him realized some powerful truths.  They said, “Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage.”  They realized that, even though they were being punished by God through slavery to an ungodly people, that God allowed it, but He was blessing them in the midst of it.  Sometimes God lets His people go through things, that doesn’t mean He has forsaken them.

Application:

We have been told over and over in Scripture that God will never leave us nor forsake us.  Sometimes when we are going through difficult times, it is easy to feel like God has forsaken us or that He will never put an end to the current bondage or slavery we find ourselves in.  Israel had made bad choices and ended up as slaves in another country, but God never left them nor forsook them.  We can know the same fact.  Even when we make bad choices and have to pay the consequences, it doesn’t mean God isn’t with us anymore.  As a matter of fact, it means He loves us enough to allow us to learn some lessons, but He also will walk through the fire with us.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for being closer than a brother.  Thank You for giving me confidence that You are with me, even when it seems like things are going terrible in my life.  You are faithful, even when we are unfaithful. You are good, even when we are messed up because of our own choices.  Thank You for never leaving me nor forsaking me.

Your Son,

Jeff