Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

May2
Friday


TREE OF REST

READ;
Ezra 9:5-9
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The lone tree in the field across from my office remained a mystery. Acres of trees had been cut down so the farmer could grow corn. But one tree remained standing, its branches reaching up and spreading out. The mystery was solved when I learned the tree was spared for a purpose. Farmers long ago traditionally left one tree standing so that they and their animals would have a cool place to rest when the hot summer sun was beating down.

At times we find that we alone have survived something, and we don't know why. Soldiers coming home from combat and patients who've survived a life-threatening illness struggle to know why they survived when others did not.

The Old Testament speaks of a remnant of Israelites whom God spared when the nation was sent into exile. The remnant preserved God's law and later rebuilt the temple (Ezra 9:9). The apostle Paul referred to himself as part of the remnant of God (Rom. 11:1,5). He was spared to become God's messenger to Gentiles (v.13).

If we stand where others have fallen it's to raise our hands to heaven in praise and to spread our arms as shade for the weary. The Lord enables us to be a tree of rest for others. __Julie Ackerman Link

``````````````````````````Thank You, Father, that You are my place of rest,````````````````
````````````````````````````And that all You have brought me through`````````````````````
````````````````````````````can be used by You to encourage others.``````````````````````
`````````````````````````````Bring praise to Yourself through me.````````````````````````
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Hope can be ignited by a spark of encouragement.

*********************************Today's Bible Reading __ Ezra 9:5-9******************************

5 At the evening sacrifice I
arose from my fasting; and
having torn my garment and
my robe, I fell on my knees
and spread out my hands to
the LORD my God. 6 And I
said:

"O my God, I am too
ashamed and humiliated to
lift up my face to You, my
God; for our iniquities have
risen higher than our heads,
and our guilt has grown up
to the heavens. 7 Since the
days of our fathers to this
day we have been very
guilty, and for our iniquities
we, our kings, and our
priests have been delivered
into the hand of the kings of
the lands, to the sword, to
captivity, to plunder, and to
humiliation, as it is this day.

8 And now for a little while
grace has been shown from
the LORD our God, to leave
us a remnant to escape, and
to give us a peg in His holy
place, that our God may
enlighten our eyes and give
us a measure of revival in
our bondage. 9 For we were
slaves. Yet our God did not
forsake us in our bondage;
but He extended mercy to us
in the sight of the kings of
Persia, to revive us, to repair
the house of our God, to
rebuild its ruins, and to give
us a wall in Judah and
Jerusalem."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

In the midst of the joy of God's grace in allowing a remnant to
return to their homeland, Ezra mourned. He mourned because
the people of Israel were not only physically distant from God,
but spiritually distant as well. Yet God in His grace did more than
enable the physical return of the remnant; He also preserved
a spiritual remnant. Upon hearing the law of God, the people
recommitted themselves to him (Ezra 10:1-4).