The Lord says these words to His people:
"Keep building what I've called you to build! Keep restoring what I've asked you to restore! Cease not! For My eye is upon you, and My hand is with you! This is your time to yield your eyes to Mine, and your hands to Mine! And nothing shall be able to stand before you!"
The key chapters to read in this time and season is Ezra chapters 3-7. In these chapters, the Scripture shows us how the Lord had moved His people to return and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, having been in Babylonian exile for seventy years. The writer (Ezra) narrated how Zerubbabel (the governor of Judah), Jeshua (the high priest), and the rest of the priests and Levites began this work of rebuilding, only to find themselves facing resistance from the adversaries (Ezra 4:1-5).
This part of the Scripture is actually prophetic of our times as believers in the New Covenant today. If those days, the Lord was building His temple; today, the Lord is building His people. The former is the 'shadow', and the latter is the 'substance'. 1 Corinthians 3:16 (NLT) says, 'Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?' The word 'temple' here is 'naos' in Greek, and it simply means 'the dwelling place of God'. Indeed, you and I are 'the dwelling place of God'! 1 Peter 2:5 (NLT) says, 'And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What’s more, you are His holy priests...'
People of God, maybe in recent times you have grown tired of building what the Lord has begun in you. In fact, some of you are already on the verge of giving up. For some, it's because you haven't seen much fruit; and for some others, it's because you've grown tired in facing resistance from those naysayers. Whatever your reasons may be, the Lord is saying "Cease not!" Because the Lord who has begun the good work in you will continue His work until it is finally completed! (Philippians 1:6) He will give you new strategies! He will give you new resources! He will give you new strength! He will see to it that what He has begun in you, He will complete it, if you do not lose heart!
That was exactly what happened those days, as written in the book of Ezra. Interestingly, the name 'Ezra' (which is the Aramaic form of the Hebrew word 'Ezer') means 'The Lord helps'. Indeed, in the midst of resistance from the enemies (who tried to frustrate and discourage God's people), the Lord's help was evident, and the Lord's eye was with them. Ezra 5:5 (NKJV) says, 'But the eye of their God was upon them, so that the enemies could not make them cease...' Not only that, the Lord also sent prophets Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo to prophesy to them in order to edify them. And the prophets were with them, helping them as well! (Ezra 5:1-2)
The word 'eye' here is 'ayin' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'fountain, favor, presence'. In other words, the Lord's fountain of living waters (speaks of 'the Spirit of the Lord') was upon them, flowing in (and through) them! As a result, they never ran short of wisdom and revelation to complete the Lord's work! Of course, the Lord's favor was with them, and the Lord's presence was with them too! Now, how could they fail? Later on, the Lord even raised up a King Darius to issue a decree to let the temple be rebuilt and be firmly laid, with all expenses paid from the king's treasury! (Ezra 6:3-5)
People of God, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The Bible says you are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which He has prepared beforehand, that you should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). The Lord's eye ('ayin') is upon you, and His Spirit is flowing in (and through) you too! Be open and let Him. And just as the temple in Ezra's days was successfully completed, every good work that the Lord has begun in you will also be successfully completed! Receive these prophetic words into your life today! In Jesus' name. Amen!
