Devotion 406
“His Lovingkindness”
Reference: Ezra Chapter 3
From captivity, the first thing they rebuilt was the altar. The altar is always the First love. It’s the First Love of God, and should be our first love.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The Church backslides when we lose our first love.
Revelation 2:4 “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.”
The Altar(the Cross) is the First Love of God and forever must be the First Love of the Church.
The Captives rebuilt the altar before laying the foundations of the temple.
Let’s read:
Ezra 3:1-2 “And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. [2] Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.”
The Spirit of God in a man or woman will always draw us to thirst after the Altar.
David wrote your Lovingkindness is better than life.
Psalm 63:1-3 “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; [2] To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. [3] Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.”
God has put a genuine thirst in every man and woman. It’s a thirst for Him.
This thirst is to drive not just David but every man and woman to this place of His Lovingkindness which is the Cross. This is where the Waters of life is flowing.
John 4:13-14 “Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: [14] But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
Fannie Crosby wrote “thou the Spring of all my comfort. More than life to me.”
Nothing can quench the thirst God has placed in man. There is not enough entertainment or activities to satisfy this thirst for God.
Many are not aware of this thirst. They define it as boredom. They are unaware they’re simply thirsting after the Lovingkindness of God.
We continue our reading:
Ezra 3:3-6 “And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, even burnt offerings morning and evening. [4] They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required; [5] And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the LORD. [6] From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid.”
The foundation of the Temple depended on the Altar. Without the Altar, there is no foundation of the Temple.
The Cross was before the foundation of the world for the foundation of the world depended on the Cross; His Lovingkindness.
1 Peter 1:19-20 “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: [20] Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,”
Through His Work of the Cross that was foreordained before the foundation of the world was all things created.
Colossians 1:16-17 “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: [17] And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”
Jesus Christ is before all things, and in Him does all things consist, move, or act. His Lovingkindness is through the Cross.
We conclude our reading:
Ezra 3:7-13 “They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia. [8] Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the LORD. [9] Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to set forward the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the Levites. [10] And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. [11] And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. [12] But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: [13] So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.”
It’s a joy of the man or woman that has drunk from the fountain of His Lovingkindness: it does something to you.
It’s joy unspeakable, unexplainable. Not enough vocabulary to articulate this feeling
Let the Word of God bring us to experience His Lovingkindness. BELIEVE and confess Christ the Word as we’ve revealed Him from the First Adam. His Lovingkindness is better than any life on this world, in Christ!
Reference: Ezra Chapter 3
From captivity, the first thing they rebuilt was the altar. The altar is always the First love. It’s the First Love of God, and should be our first love.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The Church backslides when we lose our first love.
Revelation 2:4 “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.”
The Altar(the Cross) is the First Love of God and forever must be the First Love of the Church.
The Captives rebuilt the altar before laying the foundations of the temple.
Let’s read:
Ezra 3:1-2 “And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. [2] Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.”
The Spirit of God in a man or woman will always draw us to thirst after the Altar.
David wrote your Lovingkindness is better than life.
Psalm 63:1-3 “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; [2] To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. [3] Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.”
God has put a genuine thirst in every man and woman. It’s a thirst for Him.
This thirst is to drive not just David but every man and woman to this place of His Lovingkindness which is the Cross. This is where the Waters of life is flowing.
John 4:13-14 “Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: [14] But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
Fannie Crosby wrote “thou the Spring of all my comfort. More than life to me.”
Nothing can quench the thirst God has placed in man. There is not enough entertainment or activities to satisfy this thirst for God.
Many are not aware of this thirst. They define it as boredom. They are unaware they’re simply thirsting after the Lovingkindness of God.
We continue our reading:
Ezra 3:3-6 “And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, even burnt offerings morning and evening. [4] They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required; [5] And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the LORD. [6] From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid.”
The foundation of the Temple depended on the Altar. Without the Altar, there is no foundation of the Temple.
The Cross was before the foundation of the world for the foundation of the world depended on the Cross; His Lovingkindness.
1 Peter 1:19-20 “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: [20] Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,”
Through His Work of the Cross that was foreordained before the foundation of the world was all things created.
Colossians 1:16-17 “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: [17] And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”
Jesus Christ is before all things, and in Him does all things consist, move, or act. His Lovingkindness is through the Cross.
We conclude our reading:
Ezra 3:7-13 “They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia. [8] Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the LORD. [9] Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to set forward the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the Levites. [10] And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. [11] And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. [12] But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: [13] So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.”
It’s a joy of the man or woman that has drunk from the fountain of His Lovingkindness: it does something to you.
It’s joy unspeakable, unexplainable. Not enough vocabulary to articulate this feeling
Let the Word of God bring us to experience His Lovingkindness. BELIEVE and confess Christ the Word as we’ve revealed Him from the First Adam. His Lovingkindness is better than any life on this world, in Christ!
Recent
Archive
2025
January
February
Devotion 146Devotion 145Devotion 144Devotion 143Devotion 142Devotion 141Devotion 140Devotion 139Devotion 138Devotion 137Devotion 136Devotion 135Devotion 134Devotion 133Devotion 132Devotion 131Devotion 130Devotion 129Devotion 128Devotion 127Devotion 126Devotion 125Devotion 124Devotion 123Devotion 122Devotion 121Devotion 120Devotion 119Devotion 118Devotion 117Devotion 116Devotion 115Devotion 114Devotion 113Devotion 112Devotion 111Devotion 110Devotion 109Devotion 108Devotion 107Devotion 106Devotion 105Devotion 104Devotion 103Devotion 102Devotion 91Devotion 92Devotion 93Devotion 94Devotion 95Devotion 96Devotion 97Devotion 98Devotion 99Devotion 100Devotion 101Devotion 147Devotion 148Devotion 149Devotion 150Devotion 151Devotion 152Devotion 153Devotion 154Devotion 155Devotion 156Devotion 157Devotion 158Devotion 159Devotion 160Devotion 161Devotion 162Devotion 163Devotion 164Devotion 165Devotion 166Devotion 167
Categories
no categories
No Comments