Ezra 9:5-11, 15 5Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the LORD my God 6and prayed: “I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. 7From the days of our ancestors until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today. 8But now, for a brief moment, the LORD our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage. 9Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem. 10But now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commands 11you gave through your servants the prophets when you said: ‘The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples. By their detestable practices they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other.’ ... 15“LORD, the God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence.”
How easy it is to become overwhelmed with minor distractions and disappointments in life! An unkind word (or even the perception of another’s disapproval) can weigh heavily on our minds, leading us into depression if unchecked. Scripture reminds us to keep our thoughts focused on those things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy (c.f., Philippians 4:8). To do this, we must pause for a brief moment –to realize that God remains in control.
In today’s scripture, the focus is on sin. Far more overwhelming than mere distractions and disappointments, sin is “higher than our heads,” and guilt “reaches to the heavens.” Yet Ezra realized that even in this dark time, “but now, for a brief moment,” God will bring relief to those who call upon Him.
Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,
Thank you that a lifetime of sin or grief can be lifted in “just a moment” of forgiveness—freeing the rest of our lives to focus on You!
In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.
The devotion But Now, for a Brief Moment was originally written for Sunday, September 20, 2009; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com
Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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