Lord God, from today’s scriptures it’s clear that You have moved armies, governments, civilizations to accomplish Your will. You told Your prophets, who told the people, exactly what would happen if they did not keep their covenant with You.
Their choices were to obey and receive Your blessings, or disobey and receive Your curses. The curse would remove them from the land You gave them as an inheritance and take them far away. Even knowing this, and being reminded by the prophets, their hearts were hard and they chose curses by their behavior.
You even told Your prophet Jeremiah that their captivity would last seventy years. And Isaiah gave the name of the king who would return them to their land one hundred and fifty years before it happened!
Sure enough, because of their continued disobedience, they were captured and taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon. And during that time, another civilization came to power – the Persians. The Persians overtook Babylon, and King Cyrus announced he would build a temple in Jerusalem for the Lord, the God of heaven. Any of Your people in captivity would be free to go.
This happened seventy years after captivity began as predicted. And the man who released them as promised by prophecy was not even born when he was named by the prophet!
So I can believe with assurance in the prophecies You have given about the coming days. All You revealed to John on the island of Patmos, and more about the end times. Of course, I do not pretend to know Your exact time table, but I know I need to be ready.
I need to be living like You have shown me, and being obedient to receive Your blessings. I need to be watching so I am not misled. My faith must not rest on man’s wisdom, but on Your power.
I believe that I must “wait for You” – for Your wisdom, perspective, for Your perfect timing in my life. Help me be patient while I am waiting. Help me “be strong and take heart.”
You will move things in Your timing: armies, governments, civilizations. You hold the hearts of men and kings in Your hand. And I believe I will see Your goodness, in my life, while I live.
Thank You for Your blessings. For Your promises. For Your prophecies. And for answering me when I seek Your face. Amen
Ezra 1:1-11; Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Psalm 27:13-14
Daily Bible Prayer 