DAILY DEVOTION No. 34

                               WHO IS BUILDING WITH YOU?  

Ezra 4:1 & 3 

1 ¶ Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the descendants of the captivity were building the temple of the LORD God of Israel, 2 they came to Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers’ houses, and said to them, "Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here." 3 But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers’houses  of Israel said to them, "You may do nothing with us to build a house for our God; but we alone will build to the LORD God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us."

God’s people had come out of exile and were once again building the temple of the Lord. The purpose of the temple was to be a dwelling place for God and to bring glory to His name. Who, or what is the temple?  Now that the Spirit of God dwells in us, we are the temple! Our children, our brothers and sisters in Christ!

While building the temple they faced opposition from an adversary. This enemy was the Samaritans, a people that came from the inter-marriage of Israelites with foreigners - Read 2 Kings 17:28-41. They came disguised as helpers but there was just a form of Godliness without a true relationship with God. They said they wanted to build with God's people but in actual fact, they wanted to pull down the work and prevent it from proceeding.

The enemy will come alongside us in the work of the Lord and say they wish to build with us, when in actual fact, they seek to pull down the work. As a temple of the Holy Ghost, you and I are in the process of building up our lives in God (as Jude 20 says "Building yourselves up on your most holy faith.."). Are you doing this or are you building the temple with other things? Jesus associated with sinners, but they had no influence on His life. The world seeks to discourage and frustrate the purposes of God in us. You and I are to seek council from God and build our lives on His Word, and shun the advice of the ungodly. Who do you receive counsel from? Is it from worldly opinions, Oprah, the stars, or radio announcers? Don’t let the world build into your life.

What about our children? Are we building a suitable habitation for the Spirit of God in the lives of our children? Deuteronomy 6:4-9 says, 4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the door-frames of your houses and on your gates. 

What do we allow into our children’s lives? Don’t get counsel from the ungodly. Don’t let the ungodly build into the lives of your children. Who is building the temple? “Let us build with you” “You have nothing in common with us to build a house to our God.”  If Jesus isn’t the 1st priority in their lives, don’t let them spend time with your children.

What about your church congregation? If you are in a leadership position within your church, you are to be a watchman over the flock Eg. Ezekiel 3:17 & Ch 33. In fact, whether you are a leader or not, it is still your job to encourage, to comfort and exhort your fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Challenge  

So, what house are you building for God and who is building with you? Are you building a temple to house His glorious presence, or are you building a temple to satisfy your own desires and lusts. This will depend on whether we build the temple of our lives with God or allow the enemy to influence how we build it.

Prayer

Lord, may my life be a praise unto You. Help me to constantly build my life according to Your ways and precepts.

Rod Best