Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him (Ezra 7:8-9, NIV).
When the gracious hand of the Lord is upon your life, you will succeed in all your affairs in an extraordinary dimension.
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You will enjoy uncommon favour (Ezra 7:6).
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You will operate with exceptional wisdom (Ezra 7:25).
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You will demonstrate unusual courage and strength (Ezra 7:28).
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You will enjoy the assistance of the right people (Ezra 8:18).
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You will enjoy divine protection and deliverance from all evils, and the enemies in your way (Ezra 8:22).
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You will bring whatever you do to a beautiful conclusion (Ezra 7:9).
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You will finish strong, beautifully and gloriously (Eccl. 7:8).
This was demonstrated very clearly in the lives of two servants of God who served around the same time, Ezra and Nehemiah. They were part of the Jewish exiles in Babylon under King Artaxerxes.
Each of them had a specific prophetic task to execute. Ezra was to rebuild the temple of God at Jerusalem. Nehemiah was to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem, each man's task was extremely challenging. But both were God ordained agenda whose time had come. Again and again in their writings they pointed to God helping them in every conceivable way to execute and conclude their difficult task. They succeeded because the gracious hand of the Lord was upon them. They overcame terrible oppositions of evil men. They enjoyed the favour of the king. They enjoyed the favour and generosity of people. They finished gloriously. Today, they are in everlasting remembrance. All because the good hand of the Lord was upon them.
May the gracious hand of the Lord rest upon you for the rest of your life.
How can you enjoy the good hand of the Lord?
Secondly, you must purge yourself of all uncleanness and every iniquity, and sanctify yourself totally to the Lord. This will make you enjoy His fellowship (Amos 3:3; 1 Pet. 1:18; 2 Cor. 6:14-17).
Thirdly, you must be committed to executing divine agenda. The main agenda He has given to His church is to "go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Matt. 16:15). If you are committed to this, you will enjoy the gracious hand of the Lord upon your life (Acts 11:21).
Finally, you must truly seek His face. In fasting and prayer, sincerely humbling yourself before Him, asking for his help. This was what Ezra and Nehemiah did (Neh. 1:1-8). This was what the early church did (Acts 13:1-3). If you too will truly do it, you will enjoy the gracious hand of the Lord upon your life. It is well with you.
"The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him" (Ezra 8:22b, NIV).
SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY: EZRA 7:1-28
FOR FURTHER STUDIES: ACTS 11
Prayer Points:
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Ask that the Lord may put His gracious hand upon your life.
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Ask for grace and wisdom to fulfil your own divine agenda.