EZRA 3:11

With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:

“He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever.”

And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.

TO PONDER

Ezra had a tough gig working with the Israelites who had returned from exile to rebuild the temple of Israel, the place where God dwelt with his people. It was hard work, and many people complained that the new rebuilt temple was not as grand as the one that had been destroyed.

The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19, "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God." Sometimes the work of rebuilding your body and your life into something resembling a temple, a place where God dwells, is also difficult. Sometimes it involves hard work, sometimes it includes tough conversations or acknowledging truths that we would rather ignore.

But we can join with the shouts of praise offered by the Israelites because the foundation on which our lives as temples of God's Holy Spirit has been laid in the person of Jesus. Without the work of Jesus on the cross and His death and resurrection, we would have no hope of living with God's presence with us. But now because of him, the foundation has been laid and we can get busy dwelling with God as he dwells with us - His living temples.

PRAYER

Lord God, please help me always to remember that I am yours. Make a temple of my life so that others may be drawn to you as they see you at work in me. Amen

Today's devotion by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle