As they praised and gave thanks to the Lord, they sang antiphonally: “He is good; his mercy toward Israel endures forever.” Then all the people shouted, “Praise the Lord,” because the foundation for the house of the Lord had been laid.
Ezra 3:11
Nothing happens that God can’t use to get things done in the lives of his people. Through the most horrible and trying circumstances God cleanses, teaches, and delivers his people. Things might look lost and the end might seem to be near, but when God promises to rescue you, you can be sure he’s gonna do it.
When the Israelites went into exile and were taken away from everything they knew, it seemed like the end for them. But God had a plan: “They will be taken to Babylon and stay there until I come for them, declares the Lord. I will take them from there and bring them back to this place” (Jer. 27:22). In the middle of a trial it might look like God has forgotten you. You might say something like “This always happens to me” or “I’m sure it’s something I’ve done wrong.” You might see only the bad in it, blame yourself, and think that God has left the building. But you might just want to look closer. God uses these times for your good. Look at the lives of the Israelites: they were sent into captivity, but it wasn’t for nothing. While they were there they learned to look at their God in a new light. Instead of thinking of him as absent, they began to see him as involved. And so when they returned home from exile they were changed people, ready to serve God by rebuilding the temple that had been destroyed.
The book of Ezra stands as an example to all of us that God will restore us if we are willing to come back to him and obey him. He is ready to rebuild your relationship even after you have sinned in a big way. He isn’t a God who holds a grudge forever; he doesn’t reject you and refuse to hear your cries. Consider how faithful he is to his promises and how he works everything together for good.