A moment of stillness (22).

The beauty of God’s providence. That night sleep escaped the king, so he ordered the book recording daily events to be brought and read to the king. Esther 6:1 This was the night after Haman made preparations for Mordecai’s hanging. God was working behind the scenes to destroy Haman’s plan of vengeance on the Jews….

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A moment of stillness (21).

Merciful discipline. But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the Lord our God to preserve a remnant for us and give us a stake in his holy place. Even in our slavery, God has given us a little relief and light to our eyes. Ezra 9:8 Ezra was overwhelmed to see the…

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A moment of stillness (20).

His eye is on the sparrow. But God was watching over the Jewish elders. These men wouldn’t stop them until a report was sent to Darius, so that they could receive written instructions about this matter. Ezra 5:5 As soon as the Jewish people started rebuilding the temple, they met fierce opposition from their enemies….

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A moment of stillness (19).

Don’t let fear stop you. They set up the altar on its foundation and offered burnt offerings for the morning and evening on it to the Lord even though they feared the surrounding peoples. Ezra 3:3 Let me tell you a little bit about the tragic story surrounding this passage. Jerusalem was completely destroyed, along…

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A moment of stillness (18).

Pure. He said to them, “Hear me, Levites. Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove everything impure from the holy place.” 2 Chronicles 29:5 King Hezekiah was a wonderful king. His first project was to open the doors of the temple and repair them because the…

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A moment of stillness (17).

Don’t forget to stay humble. But when he became strong, he grew arrogant, and it led to his own destruction. He acted unfaithfully against the Lord his God by going into the Lord’s sanctuary to burn incense on the incense altar. 2 Chronicles 26:16 Uzziah was a king that God made to prosper exceedingly. He…

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