Let the House Be Rebuilt

Daily Reading: Ezra 6

Let the house be rebuilt, the place where sacrifices were offered, and let its foundations be retained. (Ezra 6.3)

Devotional Thought: As God's people worked on the temple, opposition had come and progress had ceased.  Revival was needed!  Where was revival to be found?  By going back to the archives and finding the original decree.  If you need personal renewal, if your church needs revival, remember how the people of God experienced it 2500 years ago...

Let the house be rebuilt.  For something to be rebuilt, there must have been a building in the first place.  As you seek revival, heed the words of Jesus in Revelation 3.3. "Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent."  We chase fads in the church, don't we?  Too often we think we need something new when what we really need is to do the things we have been neglecting. 

Let the foundation be retained.  The Apostle Paul wrote, "For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 3.11).  Only by returning to the simple truths of the gospel and the supreme claims of Jesus Christ will you experience revival.  When Jesus laid down his life on the cross, he staked an exclusive claim on you.  "There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4.12).

Let the purpose be reclaimed.  The house of God was to be a "place where sacrifices were offered."  The same thing is true of your life.  "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your [reasonable service]" (Romans 12.1).  What is God's purpose for you?  Are you following it with your whole heart?

Prayer: Lord, I need revival in my spirit.  Help me to rebuild a spiritual house, to retain the foundation of Jesus Christ, and to reclaim the purpose of my life.  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 96:1-6

1 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.

2 Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.

3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

4 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.

6 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.