257. Strengthened by God
Ezra 7:28 And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counselors, and before the king’s mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
Ezra the scribe had received a decree by letter from King Artaxerxes of Persia, declaring that he may go to Jerusalem and build the house of the Lord. This was in answer to the long time prayers of God’s people. They had been praying and crying for a long time, and now when it was about to come about there was thankful and enthusiastic response. Now Ezra thanks God for putting this into the king’s heart to beautify the temple. The foundation had been laid, but much work had yet to be done. The king sent many people and much wealth to finish the job.
Ezra acknowledges that it was God’s doing, and not the king’s idea. The Lord was good and merciful to hear our prayer. The Lord may use the powers that be to keep His promises and hear our prayers. God does many things through ordinary human means, and so they don’t look like miracles. Ezra has the faith to see the spiritual reality, what is really going on. Ezra was a scribe who knew the word and the way of God; the Word gave him the faith to see.
The result of the people’s prayers, God’s answer, and the Word of God was that he was strengthened by the hand of the Lord to do the work He called him to do. And Ezra did a great work.
God promises us that he will give us the strength, the desire, and the ability to do the “good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” This is the promise: when we are facing a difficult challenge, a steep mountain, or a dark valley the Lord will strengthen us to walk in good works. He uses the Word of Gospel to strengthen us in faith. His hand will be upon us.