Release, Revive, Repair, Rebuild from Brian HoustonSample

Throughout the next few days, we are going on a little bit of a journey through Ezra Chapter 9. In Ezra we read of the People of Israel who's very identity was under siege. It is in this Book of the Bible that we watch as Ezra leads people back into relationship with God through the reading of the Word and through the act of Worship. In turn, leading people back into right relationship with God... was sparking a REVIVAL amongst the people.

Decimated under Nebuchadnezzar, enslaver of God's people, laid the ruins of a once magnificent Temple. Distraught, Ezra looks on, clothes rent, kneeling in the dust, he was ashamed and humiliated at his people's sin and iniquity. Overwhelmed he cries out his lament to God - he says something strikingly beautiful:

"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." (Ezra 9:8)

Ezra is speaking of the restoration of the temple under Zerubbabel's leadership and of restoring the spiritual passion of God's people.

This is an extraordinary image of how God can release, repair, revive and rebuild our life. Even in the midst of the darkest circumstances, even in the midst of bondage, when things are dead and dying, He can breathe life into dry bones (Ezekiel 37.4).

No matter what is going on in your world right now, picture the setting when Ezra declares these beautiful words of grace to God's people and allow them to speak life into you today.