“Let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord. Jeremiah 9:24.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8.

In our chapter, Ezra 6, a Memorandum was found at the king’s direction. A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana in the province of Media, v. 1. King Cyrus had issued a decree that the temple in Jerusalem would be rebuilt. King Darius further decreed death to anyone who attempted to stop the rebuilding, v. 11-12.

God accomplished His purpose through foreign, powerful kings. That got me thinking about hearts – yours, mine, everyones. We have our cherished ideas of what God wants, who God is, how to worship Him and even to not worship Him. Our greatest need is for I Am. To know God – I AM – is to walk in the freedom of getting to know our Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. Before we begin to know God we fear to know all we will have to give up – our freedom to sin. How about our freedom to live loved by God? How about our freedom to live not in fear in great darkness but free to walk with Him in the light of His love for us and others? The fear that tugs at me is that because I can’t see Him, I will walk on a path where suddenly there is no ground. What do I do then? I look up. There is never a place where God is not with me. That is what I am learning with Him. As I am getting to know God, I am finding the depth of His love for me and for everyone.

We are so afraid of sin and in that fear want to punish others for their sins while not fully admitting our own sins. The human heart. How about God’s heart? He created us in His great love and He provided a way for us to be saved out of our sins and into life with Him that is glorious and filled with learning and growing into the truth of His love and grace. He provided that way before Creation. How great is the depth of God’s love? There are no words. Thank You, Lord, for so great a Love.