The Story - Chapter 19 - Ezra 5,6

God sent two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, to encourage His people to continue work on the temple, and they did.  Finally, the people wanted to do the right thing, they were acting with God's permission, they were going in the right direction, or at least they wanted to, but government tried to shut them down.

Ezra 5:5 (NIV)
"But the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received." 

The eye of their God was watching...  Don't you love those words?  The people were trying to do the right thing for the right reasons.  Evil forces were trying to stop them.  The last thing Satan would want is to have the Temple, the Dwelling Place of The LORD, reconstructed.  As we mentioned yesterday, Satan was prowling.  But he was and is, no match for the watchful eye of God.

We can be sure that Satan is still prowling.  When we are acting the way God wants, when we are beacons of light in this dark world, there will be difficulty.  The life of a Christian, while filled with hope and joy, is also assured of trials and tribulation.  Satan may not be able to regain our soul, but he will try to stop us from influencing the world around us.

Rebuilding the Temple would be a major influence on the world, so it stands to reason there was trouble brewing.  When we rebuild our lives, when we allow Jesus to reside in our hearts, and when it is obvious a major reconstruction effort is in place, prepare for attack.  But, the real good news is - The eye of God is watching.


Read Ezra 5,6 here

Listen to Ezra 5,6 here

The Story - Chapter 15 - 2 Kings 2, 4, 6

How big are your giants?  Are they big enough to keep you in isolation, hiding you out so they don't find you?  Do they keep you awake at night, causing you to loose peaceful and precious rest?  Are these giants ruining your appetite; zapping your strength?  Just what in the world can do this to us?

Fear is a crippling emotion and one Scripture addresses again and again.  Fear is an emotion, a feeling, and we all know that feelings aren't facts; they are gut reactions to the unknown.  Our fears can take on the appearance of GIANTS, they can stop us in our tracks and they rob us of our peace and tranquility.

When we come to believe in God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we need not fear anything.  That is a bold statement to make and one that is very difficult to live up to.  I can speak from experience as I am confident you can also.  As I was praying about the giants in my life today I was reminded of another concept called perspective.  The giants in life take on different shapes and forms depending on our current perspective.

For instance, there was a time when I worried about money, about retirement and how it was all going to work. I worried about my children and grandchildren and was fearful of the state of our country; the list goes on. Then suddenly all these things were put into a new perspective when a terminal illness struck.  None of the things listed to this point mattered any longer.  They were not giants anymore, but minuscule issues - they did not matter.

2 Kings 6:16 (NIV) 
"Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." 

This story today is about the giants in Elisha's servants eyes.  It is a fascinating story of the fear this servant experienced when he saw the enemy/giants surrounding the city.  Elisha prayed for his man to see there was nothing to fear.

2 Kings 6:17 (NIV)
"And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha." 

The next time fear gets ahold of you, read this story and then ask God to reveal himself, to show you just how much He has your fears/giants under his command.

Read 2 Kings 2, 4, 6 here

Listen to 2 Kings 2, 4, 6 here