Relevant Text: Ezra 5:17 (underlined)
Full Text: Ezra 5, Acts 5

Plot | Suspense is the key to great stories. No one wants to read about Jack and Jill meeting in college, having 2.5 children, vacationing in the Hamptons, climbing the corporate ladder, and then retiring in Florida. There needs to be some struggle, some hopeless moment. Jack needs to fall down and break his crown and Jill needs to come tumbling after. They need to deal with unemployment, infertility, financial insecurity, inoperable sickness, etc.

Point | Ezra is a great story. It opens with the exiles returning home to Jerusalem [1] and rebuilding the temple while singing: “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever” [2]. Everything seems wonderful. Until, that is, their neighbors successfully convince the king to quash their plans. So, the temple is rubble for fifteen years – no worship, no sacrifices, no presence of God. Imagine their discouragement – especially after having been in exile for the past fifty years! What was God doing? Then a new king comes into power and considers the matter: “See whether a decree was issued by Cyrus the king for the rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem” [3]. As a result, not only does he let the Israelites resume construction, he also pays for it out of his own royal treasury!

Patience | Yes, we love to read great stories. But most of us hate to live them. After all, our lives are not books; we can’t see how many pages are left for the all-wrapped-up-in-a-bow ending. Yet, the message those remaining pages signal is the same if you’re reading this today: The Author of your story is not done yet. God has plans for you tomorrow and the rest of your days. We can’t assume too much in the middle. He wants our lives to be great stories of His excellencies [4]. Yes, there are suspenseful times because we aren’t the writers, but we know the One who is and He has promised: “For those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” [5].

Prayer | Lord, We confess that we have indicted you in the middle of your work in our lives when things have seemed hopeless and impossible. Yet, we trust that you are working out a million things to make our lives great stories of your grace and power. Therefore, guard us from presuming too much and increase our faith in you. Amen.

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Footnotes