Ezra 3:11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord : “He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever.” And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.
The book of Ezra is such an inspirational story to read, if you haven’t read it before. It is not too long, so it shouldn’t take you a great amount of time to read. But in it you see the Israelites rebuilding the Temple and the process they go through to restore what has been destroyed.
Verses like today’s show you the gratitude they have at seeing steps to completion take place. You can imagine how excited they must have been to see the Temple taking shape once more, having spent a huge amount of their lives as exiles in a foreign land and now back to do God’s work. It is no wonder they gave a great shout of praise to the Lord when the foundation was laid.
Yet despite their joy at seeing the progress being made towards rebuilding, there was also sadness and sorrow amongst those of the older generations who had seen the Temple in its former glory before it was destroyed (Ezra 3:12-13). We are reminded that even in times of great joy and thankfulness, there can still be some sorrow and sadness. But we remain filled with gratitude, regardless of the emotion we feel at the time. Gratitude should be the response to everything we do, at all times.
This was a crucial step to restoring their worship and obedience as Israelites and it was a time for celebration and gratitude. Our own lives have many opportunities like this to pause and thank God for what we are going through and what we are learning. Take time today to thank God for those times in your own life, recognizing that He is at work and has plans and purpose for your life.
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