BOOK OF EZRA
WEEK EIGHT: LIVING WITH PURPOSE
READ: CHAPTER EIGHT
DEVOTIONAL
Chapter Eight – LIVING WITH PURPOSE
Families returned to Jerusalem together. The ones who chose to follow God in the journey are included in God’s eternal Word.
God rewards faithfulness.
The group was about 5,000 people, compared with the 50,000 who traveled in the first group that rebuilt the temple. The Levites taught Scripture and led the temple services. Ezra and the rest of the group fasted and prayed for a safe journey. They didn’t ask for a military escort from the king like Nehemiah did. They carried gold and silver that would be worth millions of dollars today. Nine hundred miles was a long distance with many threats and dangers along the way. God delivered them from danger. They were grateful and ready to offer sacrifices to God.
The purpose of a family is to follow God together.
The purpose of a church staff team and leadership is to train people to grow in their faith. The foundational aspects of this story continue today. The grace and favor of God were evident then and are in our story now.
Just Choose Hope
HOPE POINT
Honoring God includes both your actions and your attitude.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. What have all these families decided to do together? (Ezra 8:1-14)
2. Who do you regularly serve God with, and why is having a team vital? (Ezra 8:15-20)
3. Why does Ezra tell the people to fast and pray? (Ezra 8:21-23)
4. What is good leadership, and why is it a blessing? (Ezra 8:24-30)
5. How does coming home include commitment and unselfishness? (Ezra 8:31-36)
6. Who can you share this Scripture with during the upcoming week?
PRAYER
Glorious God, You are gracious. You keep Your covenants. When we go astray, we can return to You because You are merciful. We will go where You want us to go and reach who You want us to reach. We will say what You want us to say. We want to walk in Your love, light, and wisdom. Your power is evident in our weaknesses. Thank you for setting us up in the community. Thank you that every day is a gift saturated with purpose. Jesus, You give us the life that is truly life. We praise You, Lord, amen.
