October 19, 2018 | Keluarga Allah Daily Devotional
TODAY'S FOOD FOR THE SOUL Ezra 6:1-15 TODAY'S RHEMA Ezra 6:14 So the Jewish elders continued their work, and they were greatly encouraged by the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. The Temple was finally finished, as had been commanded by the God of Israel and decreed by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, the kings of Persia.
Heavy rain started pouring down out of a sudden at the camping site. The campfire that had just been lit was immediately put off by the rain. The woods were drenched. After the rain had stopped, no matter how many times the campers tried to reignite the fire, their effort proved to be futile. All the campers had been anticipating the campfire, which was the pinnacle of the event that night. Their enthusiasm slowly gave way to worries, which turned into sorrow. It seemed like they had to let go of their high expectation. Little did they know, the event committees had prepared a safe fuel alternative, which they started pouring on top of the wet wood stack. Within seconds, a burst of flames began to flare, and soon enough the campfire was burning bright, keeping the atmosphere nice and warm.
Lost hope is just like a fire that has been put off and hard to rekindle. Whilst trying to rebuild the second Temple of God in Jerusalem, the Israelites lost their hope. They had to face adversities that prevented them to build the Holy Temple. For fifteen years, their dream had vanished, until two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem (Ezra 5:1). Their prophetic words can be seen as fuel that is added to a wet stack of woods to reignite the fire. The Jews gained courage and strength to rebuild the Temple of God. And God was watching over them by removing those who tried to prevent them from building the Temple, and the Temple was eventually finished.
When trying to build something in life, there are times when we need prophetic words to rekindle our spirit. Perhaps we are facing great obstacles that are way beyond our abilities to fight off. Or perhaps we are facing people who oppose our dreams and try to prevent us from reaching our goals. The fire within our heart slowly weakens. Nonetheless, we must hold on to the promise that God has great plans for our lives. We must be strong and courageous to declare His promises by faith. When we do so, God's mighty way will work within us and through us, reigniting our spirit and those around us as well. REFLECTION Saudara Terkasih, PROPHETIC WORDS have the power to BUILD and MAKE great things out of nothing. APPLICATIONS 1. What are the things that seem "dead" in your life? 2. Why are prophetic words able to build and make great things out of something that is absent in your life? 3. How can you declare prophetic words to your life and those around you? TODAY'S PRAYER "Dear good Father, thank you for your great plans for my life. Rekindle my spirit that seems to have died. Take me with You in Your movement. Let my steps be steps of victory. Let me gain back what you have prepared for me. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen."
Sutan syahrir 88 Widuran Solo, 57129, Surakarta, Indonesia
