Missed Opportunities

 

Ezra 8 (NIV), excerpts

At a first glance, today’s text may seem challenging to read for it contains lists of names (c.f., Ezra 8:1-14).  However, I noticed something new and perhaps it will be new to you as well. As the heads of families gather to Ezra and prepare to travel from Babylon back to Jerusalem for the purpose of rebuilding the temple, one group is conspicuously missing. The Levites are nowhere to be found.

Ezra 8:15 (NIV)  ¹⁵I assembled them at the canal that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there three days. When I checked among the people and the priests, I found no Levites there.

One might think a trip back to Jerusalem to repair the temple would cause the Levites to spring forward into action for they were the ones chosen and dedicated to the service of all things concerning the temple of God.  Yet in all the lists of families (c.f., vs 1-5), there are no Levites to be found. It seems a little extra persuasion was necessary.

Is it any different in our day? An opportunity for service presents itself and we are nowhere to be found. Too often it takes a little extra persuasion for us to respond. I’m sure the Levites were more than a little nervous about the trip, but as Ezra reiterated at least three times in this passage, “the gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him” (c.f., vs. 18, 22, 31). So it is for us as well; when we respond to opportunities the Lord lays before us, we too experience the “gracious hand of our God.”

 

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

Thank you for opportunities to serve you.  Forgive our hesitations and reservations. Help us to be obedient to each call knowing we can be confident that your gracious hand will guide us.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

 

The devotion Missed Opportunities was originally written for Monday, July 23, 2018; 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.