Favor Upon Me

I don’t know that I was ever the “favorite” (aka the teachers pet) of my teachers in school. I can remember a time when I’m pretty sure I was one of the worst kids in my class. I was dared to disobey and I took the dare…and the punishment that went with it. I have some regrets of being that obnoxious middle school punk because I knew better. I was certainly taught better than that. I think sometimes I simply liked pushing the boundaries to see what I could “get away with”.

Ezra was a student of the Law of Moses and was in captivity at Babylon. He certainly caught the eye of Darius King of Persia. He was given a significant leadership role to help restore the Temple in Jerusalem and offer sacrifices to the Lord. Check this out…

27 Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way 28 and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisors and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me. (Ezra 7:27-28 NIV)

Ezra had a healthy view of himself. He realized that it was the Lord who brought such great favor upon him and his people. He realized that God was working on the king’s heart on behalf of His people.

I was reminded that I am who I am because of Who God is and what He is and has done on my behalf. I want my life to be lived within the favor of God upon me. I don’t’ have to be wealthy or famous – I just want to be faithful to who God is calling me to be.

Pressing On!

Dwayne