It never ceases to amaze me how when God is behind something, no force in this world can stop it!
I’ve been reading a lot of Old Testament stories lately and you can not read them without your faith just rising!
In the book of Ezra we find a group of people hearing God’s call to rebuild the Temple. These guys did it right. Before they did any rebuilding they restored the alter of God. The alter was the place of sacrifice, forgiveness and atonement. A lot of Church Planters and Pastor’s who have the job of revitalizing a church would be well advised to copy this model (we all know Pastors are obsessed with models! Before you ask, I don’t mean the model on the front of Vanity Fair, well I hope not!)
Many had returned to Jerusalem to help rebuild the temple and others wanted to join in but they weren’t passionate about God. The leaders of the project said no, so these people turned on the temple builders and did everything in their power to stop the project. It’s amazing how low some people will go when they have been hurt or are jealous!
The story continues until the King of Babylon orders them to stop rebuilding the temple. This was the most powerful man on the planet at the time. What started as a simple following of God’s call now had turned into a battle against the whole world! Yet these builders while being a little disheartened and discouraged continued despite what the officials said. This battle went on for years and the bible tells us that they received fierce opposition for an entire generation.
However, these people continued despite the opposition. Eventually, daylight broke in their lives and a new King granted them permission to build.
The Temple finally got restored. Why? Because these folks decided that if God told them to do something, then they must do it despite who opposed it. They knew that what a King decrees can be changed, but what the King of Kings decrees will never be changed. The King of this universe decreed that the Temple be rebuilt, and nothing could ever stop that.
If God has called you to do something or be somebody do not fear who may oppose it. If God has decreed it not one man or circumstance can stop it! Go walk in what God has called you to do!
