January 5, 2011

Ezra 5
The summer after I graduated from High School, I was impelled by the Spirit to go witnessing. It was just something that I could not resist. I got in my car and began driving looking for someone with whom I could share the gospel. I was driven. I was scared. My personality is such that I hate initiating conversations. Seeing some acquaintances from high school parked alongside the road, I stopped. I thought that I could talk with them until God showed me someone with whom I could share the gospel. I assumed that they would not be interested. Steve had always been very sarcastic toward me in the past, especially concerning Jesus.
As I stepped out of the car, Steve said, “Chaffin, I’m glad you are here. I need to be reformed.”
Thinking that he was once again being sarcastic, I said, “Right, Steve, you need to be reformed.”
He replied, “No, really, I need to be reformed.”
I replied sarcastically, “Uh, uh, you do need to be reformed.”
“I’m serious,” he replied, “I need to be reformed.”
Still thinking that he was being sarcastic, I rebutted, “Well, I don’t reform people; I just introduce them to Jesus.”
“Well, introduce me to Jesus.”
“Uh, huh, introduce you to Jesus.”
“I’m serious! Introduce me to Jesus!”
“You’re serious?”
“Yes, I am serious. Introduce me to Jesus!”
I pulled out my New Testament and began to share the gospel with him. A few minutes later, he was praying to ask Jesus to save him from his sin. It was one of those times when it was clear that this was a God-thing. It was nothing of me and all of Him. The eye of my God was upon him and there was nothing that could have stopped Steve from trusting Jesus, except if I had refused to follow the prompting of God. That is His glory!
The eye of their God was upon the returnees to rebuild the temple. Nothing could have stopped them. That is His glory! When asked who gave them the authority to build, they were not hesitant to make it known that they were the servants of the God of heaven and earth. Sure, they mentioned that Cyrus had given them the command, but of more importance to them, they were the servants of the Most High God. That was all that they needed.
Sometimes I have to remind myself that I am the servant of the Most High God. His glory is far more unimaginably great than I can ever dream. When His eye is upon me, I will accomplish that for which He has designed me. The only question is, “Will I listen to His direction, and will I obey?” When those two questions are affirmative, He will eventually display His glory in me. Granted, most of life is rather mundane and even toilsome. Just look at the lives of the great men of God, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David etc. The majority of their time was mundane and toilsome. But they had their moments that were full of the glory of God because they listened and obeyed. So it was with the ones rebuilding the temple. They knew that they were the servants of the Most High God. Consequently they listened and obeyed and didn’t give up. The glory of God was displayed in their work. Lord, display Your glory in us! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John