From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:16.

In seeing God’s hand in the lives of people so long ago in our chapter, Ezra 1, can we appreciate God is at work today? I love in the notes below: (God moved the hearts of the leaders, family heads, priests, and Levites and gave them a great desire to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple.) A great desire. Cyrus, king of Persia…Iran today…was moved by God to declare The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem. v. 2-4.

It sheds a new light on the perspective of God’s Kingdom and the work He is doing today. We can’t see because we are so close to everything happening to us. God sees. He foretold it through His prophet Isaiah: who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Let its foundation be laid.”‘ Isaiah 44:28. (In the notes in Isaiah 44:28: Isaiah, who prophesied from about 740-681 B.C., called Cyrus by name almost 150 years before he ruled (559-530 B.C.)! Later historians said that Cyrus read this prophecy and was so moved that he carried it out. Isaiah also predicted that Jerusalem would fall more than 100 years before it happened (586 B.C) and that the temple would be rebuilt about 200 years before it happened. It is clear that these prophecies came from a God who knows the future.)

Fitted together. My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working. John 5:17.

We are all of us created by our amazing Creator God who loves us. He is doing a good work. It begins simply in hearts that share a great desire for His Love. When we begin to love God, when we walk with Him, we realize that it is His Will that we seek and not our own because His will is for our good always. Is it any wonder God will bring a New Jerusalem when He returns? Is it any wonder healing for the nations will go forth from Him? Fitted together. Not our will, Lord, but Yours, for it is Good!