“And whatever is needed, bowls, rams, or sheep for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, or oil as the priests that Jerusalem require, let that be given to them day by day without fail.”
– Ezra 6:9
What a great verse. This is a decree from Darius, a pagan king, saying, “Make sure that the people of God who are rebuilding the temple have everything they need.” I love this picture, God providing from an unlikely source for his people to do what he’s calling them to do. And as I read Ezra 6:9, I’m just reminded that when we are doing what God has called us to do, he promises to give us everything we need to do it. Can I just say that again? And let that soak in, in your life today. In all that God is calling you to do, he promises to give you everything you need to do it.
You think about what Jesus told us right before he left the earth when he commanded us to, “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything he has commanded us.” And then what did he say right after that? “And I am with you always to the end of the age.”
Walking Alongside with God
Basically, Jesus is saying, “I will be with you. I will give you everything you need to accomplish this commission that I’m giving to you.” And it’s not just in that commission, it’s in everything. In all of God’s commands to us, he promises to give us everything we need to obey those commands, to do what he’s calling us to do. His spirit is in us for that purpose. God has put his Holy Spirit in you and me to enable us to walk in obedience to him. To enable us to experience all that he’s designed for us.
And so we pray according to Ezra 6:9. God, there’s a lot of things we need today. God, we need strength. We need wisdom. God, we need your help. We need your power. We need joy. God, we need peace. We need so many different things in our lives today. And we praise you right now for your promise to give us all these things we need.
Ezra 6:9 Praises God’s Provision
God, we praise you for your generosity, for your generous provision, for your faithfulness to provide. You are Jehovah, the Lord who provides. We praise you for your provision for your people in Ezra 6 and we praise you that just as you provided for them on that day, you promised to provide everything we need today. God, I pray for brothers and sisters who are listening to this right now paying with me who are going through really hard times or who find themselves in particular need in different ways.
So God, I just pray right now based on Ezra 6:9 that they would know that you are faithful and good and generous and you promise to give them everything they need. And I pray that they would experience the fruit of that promise in their life today. They would experience your wisdom and your comfort and your peace and your strength and your joy. Even as I praise you and pray for these things in my own life, I pray for these things over their lives. And oh, God, as your people, we are so thankful that you are faithful to meet all of our needs according to the glorious riches that are available to us in Christ Jesus. In your name, Lord Jesus, we pray according to Ezra 6:9. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
