Ezra 8:21-23, Exodus 34:29-35
Ezra was a brave dude. He led the Jewish people back to Israel from exile in Babylon. While most Jews remained scattered across the known world, a group of them was determined to return to the land of their ancestors. Ezra was to be their new high priest. However, it was a long and dangerous journey from Iraq to Palestine. We are told that Ezra prayed hard and fasted, asking God to keep them safe. Having told the king of Persia how great the God of Israel was, he did not want to ask for armed men to protect. Ezra wanted to trust God to provide for his people. To strengthen his trust and to affirm it he prayed and fasted. Likewise, we pray and fast for God to protect us. When we claim in song and word that Jesus is awesome and can do anything and loves us all, do we back that up with actions that prove we are not hypocrites: saying one thing, but doing another? Do we take "chances" and make room for God's miracles? Do we give God to devotion we need to strengthen that trust? Or are we scared that our prayer will be rejected or ignored or in vain?
When we give God time to build our relationship daily, Christ will transform us. He will empower and strengthen our faith and trust. And with faith, even as large as a mustard seed, we can move mountains with the power of God within us. When we meet with God, our faces shine like Moses (symbolically/spiritually). We transformed as creatures of trusting power, having cultivated unity in spirit between us and God so that when we do dangerous things for Jesus' sake, the power of God will flow through us.
Now that's some cool stuff!
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