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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 2 of 5
Ezra 10:1-19
The example of Ezra had already led "every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel" to humble themselves with him (Ezra 9:4). Now, as an answer to his prayer, this same feeling is stirred up in the hearts of a "very great congregation of men and women and children" (v. 1). Being young need not be an obstacle to feeling saddened about matters which dishonour God.
These marriages with strangers remind those of us who are believers about worldliness. Have we not on many occasions allowed this intruder into our homes and our lives? And young people have often been the first to bring it into their parents’ home. Well! it is not enough to discover this evil in the light of the Word, or even to humble ourselves because of it. We must act and separate ourselves from it. That will involve us for example in examining our habits with real severity: the books on our bookshelf, our clothes, cosmetics . . . in order to get rid of all "strange" things ruthlessly. This unpleasant task will perhaps last for some time (see v. 13) But the resumption of happy relationships with the Lord costs exactly that. The list of names which brings the book of Ezra to its close is indeed long, bearing in mind the one which began it (Ezra 2)!
