Ezra 2

Have you ever been away on a long trip? Do you remember how it good it feels to finally come home after that trip? Now, imagine for a moment what it was like to be a Jew at this time in history. They had all been away from their homes for a LONG TIME. It had been 70 years for many of them. They didn’t have homes to return to really, they had been chased out, their homes burned to the ground… then they were rounded up and herded like cattle into Babylon. For 70 years they lived as captives in a land that was not theirs, but then the Lord moved, and they were allowed to return to their land, to rebuild their homes, and to restore their kingdom.

For the average Jew, this must have been such an incredible time. Though there would be great sadness when they saw their land and the destruction there, there was also great GLADNESS as they realized that GOD WAS AT WORK, AND HAD NOT FORSAKEN THEM. Over 40,000 people are listed for us as returning in this chapter; they were coming back to a lot of hard work, to a lot of sweat… But they were coming back with the assurance that GOD WAS STILL AT WORK.

Remember that simple thought as you go about your day today, GOD IS STILL AT WORK.