Grace is the unmerited favor of divine influence on the heart of man, He brings beauty in the face of adversity – when all else has failed. He grants loveliness, kindness, mercy and blessing to honor the man who will rise up to heed His call. He seeks to adorn and honor those who are willing to work.
Grace was granted in the Bible when God bestowed divine favor for the Children of Israel to rebuild the temple, the city and its walls which had been destroyed and left in ruins following many years in captivity.
The first thing God did was to stir the heart of Cyrus, king of Persia. The heart of a king was changed to be used by God.
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying: “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem. …Ezra 1:1
Then God called Ezra to lead and teach the people. Here is what Ezra stated in Ezra 9:8: But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. This is only a small portion of the prayer Ezra offered to the LORD in Ezra 9:5-15 & 10:1.
The people came to hear him and sat in a heavy rain to listen to the words of Ezra, one highly favored by God for the hour of His visitation. It was not a time of convenience but of remorse and repentance.
Nehemiah and Ezra are two examples of how God works to bring repentance, revival and restoration. He uses men and women dedicated to the task who are filled with humility, meekness and boldness.
We are not alone in our battles in life. God is here and He is in control. Let us take comfort in this today since we do not know what tomorrow will bring.
