Today’s Reading: Ezra 4:6-24; 5:1-6:13

To steal Rob Pilkington’s favourite phrase, “what I love about this story is…” that the men who wanted to stop the construction of Jerusalem and the temple mentioned that allowing the city to be rebuilt would lead to further rebellion from the people. Not only that, but they said that the kings coffers would also suffer as a result! However, what they stated would happen did not. Furthermore, the king himself ordered that his own revenue be used to pay for the rebuilding and the continuation of the temple sacrifices. How blessed the Jews were to be given permission, essentially orders, to rebuild their former capital city!

How thankful are we for a government that still more or less favours our faith? We are allowed to worship freely, to take a Christian stance, and to tell others about Him, while there are Christians in other lands who are persecuted for their beliefs. May we not be ungrateful for our blessings in the West.