The Word on Wednesday

Ezra 3:10-11 “When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel.  With praise and thanksgiving, they sang to the Lord: “He is good; his love to 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.  

These verses reminded me this morning of one of the reasons we had a joint worship service on Saturday for Love Cedar Valley.  It was a chance to gather as God's people to be reminded that He alone is the source of love, goodness, kindness, and that it is in the posture of gratitude and thanksgiving that we  serve.  Coming together as One Church to praise Jesus Christ as the foundation for all things good is fundamental in the restoration of our community.  

Ezra 3:12-13  “But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy.  No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise.  And the sound was heard far away.” 

Change is hard!  Perhaps especially for the older generation who remembers how things were in days past.  Perhaps also for churches as they operate in ways that are familiar and known to them.  We must trust and follow the Spirit of God as He moves us toward community restoration in some ways that are more unfamiliar and unknown to us. I love the following verses found in Isaiah 43:18-19.."Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up, do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."