Bible Reading Plan

Author: Hannah Thacher

  • Rest Day 23

    Rest Day 23

    Rest Day

    Today is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence. Each Rest Day, we will also introduce a memory verse for the week. Meditate on this week’s verse and begin to memorize it.

    Memory Verse

    Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
    His love endures forever.

    Psalm 136:1

    Memorization Tip

    Take the verse with you throughout your day. Write it on a post-it note and put it on your fridge, or your mirror, or your steering wheel–anywhere that you’ll see it and be reminded of what you’re memorizing throughout the day. Put it as the lock screen on your phone. And when you see it during the day, say it out loud, meditate on it, and work on memorizing it.

    Worship with Us

    Join us at 9a, 11a, or 7p in person or online at harriscreek.org/live. We’d love to worship with you! We also desire to connect everyone with a local church body where they can thrive in community and use their gifts to serve. If you’re following our Bible Reading Plan from outside of Waco and are eager to get connected with a great local church, email us at [email protected].

    Leave a Comment Below
    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • Rest Day 22

    Rest Day 22

    Rest Day

    Today is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence. Each Rest Day, we will also introduce a memory verse for the week. Meditate on this week’s verse and begin to memorize it.

    Memory Verse

    1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
        the builders labor in vain.
    Unless the Lord watches over the city,
        the guards stand watch in vain.
    2 In vain you rise early
        and stay up late,
    toiling for food to eat—
        for he grants sleep to those he loves.

    Psalm 127:1-2

    Memorization Tip

    Use technology to your advantage. There are many Scripture Memory Apps available on the app store, such as The Bible Memory App, Bible Memory, Fighter Verses, Remember Me, Verses, Scripture Typer, and more! Some use games, memorization tools and methods, employ different translations, and help you track your progress. Simply download the app, load the verses you want to memorize, and get to work!

    Worship with Us

    Join us at 9a, 11a, or 7p in person or online at harriscreek.org/live. We’d love to worship with you! We also desire to connect everyone with a local church body where they can thrive in community and use their gifts to serve. If you’re following our Bible Reading Plan from outside of Waco and are eager to get connected with a great local church, email us at [email protected].

    Leave a Comment Below
    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • Rest Day 2

    Rest Day 2

    Rest Day

    Today is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence. Each Rest Day, we will also introduce a memory verse for the week. Meditate on this week’s verse and begin to memorize it.

    Memory Verse

    In all that has happened to us, you have remained righteous; you have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly.

    Nehemiah 9:33

    Memorization Tip

    Who says Scripture memorization has to be boring? Make it a game! Write the verse out on notecards, a different word for each card. Then, shuffle them around and place them back in the correct order from memory.

    Worship with Us

    Join us at 9a, 11a, or 7p in person or online at harriscreek.org/live. We’d love to worship with you! We also desire to connect everyone with a local church body where they can thrive in community and use their gifts to serve. If you’re following our Bible Reading Plan from outside of Waco and are eager to get connected with a great local church, email us at [email protected].

    Leave a Comment Below
    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • Psalm 126

    Psalm 126

    Read Psalm 126

    A song of ascents.

    1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
        we were like those who dreamed.
    2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,
        our tongues with songs of joy.
    Then it was said among the nations,
        “The Lord has done great things for them.”
    3 The Lord has done great things for us,
        and we are filled with joy.

    4 Restore our fortunes, Lord,
        like streams in the Negev.
    5 Those who sow with tears
        will reap with songs of joy.
    6 Those who go out weeping,
        carrying seed to sow,
    will return with songs of joy,
        carrying sheaves with them.

    Editor’s Note

    Psalms 120-134 are known as the “Psalms of Ascent” or “Pilgrim Songs.” Every year as the Jews traveled uphill towards the city of Jerusalem to participate in one of the three Jewish festivals, these are the songs they would sing. They became a staple of the pilgrimage to Jerusalem back then and now they serve as a helpful template for us as we worship today.

    Go Deeper

    The title given to this psalm—Zion’s Restoration, A Pilgrim Song/A Song of Ascents—provides the backdrop for the passage. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a pilgrim as “a person who travels to a holy place for religious reasons.” In this context, the sacred place was Jerusalem, often referred to as Zion, as Jews were most likely returning from Babylonian captivity. It seemed they were living in a dream after 70 years of exile; joy, laughter, and songs radiated from them as they journeyed back to their homeland, giving credit to the Lord who had done great things for them (v. 2-3). As the returning exiles caught sight of Mount Zion, they were filled with gratitude to be back in their own land. The surrounding nations were familiar with their captivity and took notice, and they looked in awe of God who had fulfilled His word and brought His people back.

    The closer they drew to Jerusalem, the more apparent it became that their homeland was in desperate need of restoration. Think of returning to a childhood home after many years and finding a dilapidated house with overgrown landscape, but on a much larger scale. The Israelites looked upon their city and realized there was much work to be done. Life is often like a set of parallel railroad tracks, as joy and sadness can coexist. One does not negate the other. What a gamut of emotions the people must have experienced as described in verse 5: “Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy.” The people acknowledged that God had done an amazing work in the past, and begged and trusted Him to do it again.  

    One of God’s past works they surely recalled is found in Joshua 4. This speaks of the memorial stones the Jews took from the middle of the Jordan River after God parted the waters during the spring flood stage and commanded them to cross over, requiring great faith from the people. Joshua knew the importance of remembering: “When your children ask their fathers in the future—what is the meaning of these stones—tell your children Israel crossed over on dry ground. This is so all the people of the earth may know that the Lord’s hand is mighty, and that you may always fear the Lord your God” (Joshua 4:22, 24).

    Questions

    1. Are you in a place of captivity right now, desperate for release? Are you daily trusting God to use this time to refine and shape you for His purposes?
    2. If you are in a place of freedom, have you shared your story with fellow believers to encourage them on their journeys? Share this with your Life Group this week.
    3. What are your “stones of remembrance” where you have seen the hand of God move mightily? Write them down for future reference.

    Listen Here

    The lyrics of this song resonate with the message of Psalm 126. Be encouraged to trust in the faithfulness of our God who moved heaven and earth to save us.

    Leave a Comment Below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.

    Join the Team

    Interested in writing for the Bible Reading Plan? Email [email protected].

  • Rest Day 1

    Rest Day 1

    Rest Day

    Today is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence. Each Rest Day, we will also introduce a memory verse for the week. Meditate on this week’s verse and begin to memorize it.

    Memory Verse

    Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

    Nehemiah 8:10

    Memorization Tip

    Use community as a tool to help you in your Scripture memorization journey! Pick a few friends, or your Life Group, with whom to memorize Scripture. Practice together, hold each other accountable, and encourage one another as you work together. Remember that the best way to stick with a challenge is to not go at it alone!

    Worship with Us

    Join us at 9a, 11a, or 7p in person or online at harriscreek.org/live. We’d love to worship with you! We also desire to connect everyone with a local church body where they can thrive in community and use their gifts to serve. If you’re following our Bible Reading Plan from outside of Waco and are eager to get connected with a great local church, email us at [email protected].

    Leave a Comment Below
    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • Rest Day 2

    Rest Day 2

    Rest Day

    Today is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence. Each Rest Day, we will also introduce a memory verse for the week. Meditate on this week’s verse and begin to memorize it.

    Memory Verse

    For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.

    Ezra 7:10

    Memorization Tip

    Take the verse with you throughout your day. Write it on a post-it note and put it on your fridge, or your mirror, or your steering wheel–anywhere that you’ll see it and be reminded of what you’re memorizing throughout the day. Put it as the lock screen on your phone. And when you see it during the day, say it out loud, meditate on it, and work on memorizing it.

    Worship with Us

    Join us at 9a, 11a, or 7p in person or online at harriscreek.org/live. We’d love to worship with you! We also desire to connect everyone with a local church body where they can thrive in community and use their gifts to serve. If you’re following our Bible Reading Plan from outside of Waco and are eager to get connected with a great local church, email us at [email protected].

    Leave a Comment Below
    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • Nehemiah 2

    Nehemiah 2

    Read Nehemiah 2

    Artaxerxes Sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem

    In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, 2 so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”

    I was very much afraid, 3 but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

    4 The king said to me, “What is it you want?”

    Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

    6 Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.

    7 I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? 8 And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. 9 So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.

    10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.

    Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Walls

    11 I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days 12 I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.

    13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15 so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.

    17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” 18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.

    They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.

    19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”

    20 I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”

    Go Deeper

    It’s often been said that some variation of “fear not” is in the Bible 365 times, one for every day of the year. Many pastors, preachers, authors, and teachers will use this to remind us that we need not be afraid. But what do we do when we’re trying to walk in faith, yet still feel fear?

    In Nehemiah 2:1-8, we see Nehemiah interacting with King Artaxerxes. Notice the state in which Nehemiah started this conversation: “I was very much afraid, but I said to the king…” (v. 2b-3a).  Nehemiah, while afraid, didn’t reply, “Nothing,” when the king asked him what was wrong. It’s easy to lose sight of this, but the king had absolutely no reason to care what was wrong with Nehemiah. If anything, the usual response of “nothing” might’ve saved his life on a normal day. Nehemiah was right to feel the fear, but he didn’t follow that feeling.

    In the next interaction, Nehemiah offers up a small prayer to God right before he answers the king a second time. Nehemiah’s answers seem to get more and more outrageous when we understand that he’s talking to a king. Nehemiah feared, prayed, maybe took a dramatic gulp, and then let God handle the situation.

    At the very end of this chapter, when Nehemiah is facing ridicule for his actions, even being accused of rebelling against the very king he just spoke to like a friend, Nehemiah replies with this:

             “The God of heaven will give us success…”

    Nehemiah responded in faith, not fear. He responded knowing God would handle this, just as He handled the conversation with the king. While success may or may not look like what we think, the point is that God is the One who can and will handle it.

    You may never be in Nehemiah’s position of speaking your mind before a king, but you will certainly encounter fear. With that fear comes a choice: will you listen to the fear or follow God in faith? If you choose option two, remember how Nehemiah practiced such faith. He was afraid, he prayed, and he walked with the Lord.

    Questions

    1. What’s causing you fear in your life? What is your “conversation with a king”?
    2. How can you move forward through this? Have you prayed over the situation? Have you brought it before trusted brothers and sisters in Christ?
    3. How can you walk in faith this week? Pick one way and start there. It doesn’t have to be something huge, just start.

    A Quote

    “The true follower of Christ will not ask, ‘If I embrace this truth, what will it cost me?’ Rather he will say, ‘This is truth, God help me to walk in it, let come what may!’” A.W. Tozer

    Leave a Comment Below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.

    Join the Team

    Interested in writing for the Bible Reading Plan? Email [email protected].

  • Nehemiah 1

    Nehemiah 1

    Getting Started

    Welcome to the Bible Reading Plan! We are so glad you are joining us for this journey through all ten chapters of Nehemiah over the next couple of weeks. Each day, you will read one chapter of the Bible followed by a short devotional, answer a few questions, and if you want, record any observations or insights using the interactive comments section. We believe God will use this resource to grow our knowledge and affection for Him. We know God’s Word does not return void (Isaiah 55:11). Sign up with a friend, your Life Group, or your family, and let’s dig in!

    Make sure to download our Harris Creek App and turn on push notifications, or visit us at biblereadingplan.org and sign up to receive the BRP in your inbox. Also, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram (@harriscreek) for some fun, creative ways to interact with the readings. 

    Let’s Go, Church!

    Nehemiah Preview

    The book of Nehemiah is the sequel to the book of Ezra. Originally one long book, the two were eventually divided and named for the main character in each book. Nehemiah picks up right where the story of Ezra leaves off, spanning the period between 445-431 BC. When we meet Nehemiah in chapter 1, he’s serving as the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. Being a cupbearer meant more than just serving wine; Nehemiah was a trusted advisor and right-hand man to the king. As the book unfolds, Nehemiah assumes two other roles: wall-builder and, eventually, the governor of Judah. 

    This book will take us on a journey. Along the way, we’ll be encouraged and spurred on by Nehemiah’s faithfulness. He lives and acts in a prayerful, faithful way throughout the story. We’ll see moments of revival where it seems like everything clicks for God’s people and they repent and turn from their sins. But we’ll also see the dangers of what happens when we simply go through the motions without having truly transformed hearts. Nehemiah ends on a somber note as Nehemiah feels discouraged by the actions of the people he thought were authentically pursuing God.

    This story doesn’t have a fairytale ending, but that’s what makes it feel real. We have likely all felt the same discouragement as Nehemiah. We have also likely been the stubborn ones who wandered from God and returned to our old habits and patterns. We can likely resonate with all the characters in this book to some degree. As we read, grab a journal and take good notes. Figure out what you can take from each chapter of this story and apply to your life today. There are so many things we can learn about God and ourselves through the lens of this book. As we read Nehemiah, start each day with prayer, asking God to open your heart to what you need to learn today. Thanks for reading along with us! 

    Read Nehemiah 1

    Nehemiah’s Prayer

    The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:

    In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

    3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”

    4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said:

    “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

    8 “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, 9 but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’

    10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. 11 Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

    I was cupbearer to the king.

    Go Deeper

    As the book of Nehemiah begins, we’re immediately introduced to the title character. As you likely noticed, Nehemiah is speaking in the first person, which gives us a glimpse into who he is and how he was feeling. Unlike Ezra, who was a priest, Nehemiah is an Israelite serving in the Persian government. At the end of this chapter, he tells us that he is the king’s cupbearer, which indicates to us that he’s highly thought of by King Artaxerxes. The cupbearer was so much more than someone to serve wine; they had to be trustworthy and functioned as a confidant and an advisor. 

    Nehemiah is an excellent case study in leadership. While he may not have been the king, he still had a great deal of influence to steward well. When he heard of the trouble in Jerusalem and the state of the broken down walls, he wept and mourned at the news.  While that’s a fairly normal response to troubling news, notice what Nehemiah did next. He devoted himself to prayer. Before anything else happened–before he hatched a plan or sprung into action–Nehemiah immediately took the situation before God. 

    Nehemiah’s prayer ends with him asking for favor in the eyes of the king as he prepares to ask King Artaxerxes for permission to go rebuild the walls. Notice how he refers to the king as “this man” in his prayer. Even though the king was extremely powerful (in human terms), Nehemiah knew that God was the one who held all of the power. As we read the book of Nehemiah, we’ll see that prayer is extremely normal for him. In fact, Nehemiah’s prayers make up 11% of this entire book. How different would our lives look if 11% of our recorded words were prayers asking God to intervene? As we go about our day today, let’s be people who bring every request in front of God. Instead of automatically trying to formulate a course of action or trying to fix it ourselves, let’s devote ourselves to prayer in the same way that Nehemiah did.

    Questions

    1. Why was Nehemiah so burdened by what was going on in Jerusalem?
    2. Nehemiah was in a position of influence. Where are your spheres of influence today? 
    3. How often do you take situations/requests/problems in your life directly to God in prayer? Do you find yourself routinely trying to fix the issues on your own? Why?

    Did You Know?

    Nehemiah is the last of the historical books in the Old Testament. While Esther follows Nehemiah in the canon, the events of Esther actually take place in the time period between Ezra 6 and 7.

    Leave a Comment Below

    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.

    Join the Team

    Interested in writing for the Bible Reading Plan? Email [email protected].

  • Rest Day 1

    Rest Day 1

    Rest Day

    Today is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence. Each Rest Day, we will also introduce a memory verse for the week. Meditate on this week’s verse and begin to memorize it.

    Memory Verse

    For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.

    Ezra 6:22

    Memorization Tip

    Use technology to your advantage. There are many Scripture Memory Apps available on the app store, such as The Bible Memory App, Bible Memory, Fighter Verses, Remember Me, Verses, Scripture Typer, and more! Some use games, memorization tools and methods, employ different translations, and help you track your progress. Simply download the app, load the verses you want to memorize, and get to work!

    Worship with Us

    Join us at 9a, 11a, or 7p in person or online at harriscreek.org/live. We’d love to worship with you! We also desire to connect everyone with a local church body where they can thrive in community and use their gifts to serve. If you’re following our Bible Reading Plan from outside of Waco and are eager to get connected with a great local church, email us at [email protected].

    Leave a Comment Below
    Did you learn something today? Share it with our Bible Reading Plan community by commenting below.
  • Ezra 1

    Ezra 1

    Getting Started

    Welcome to the Bible Reading Plan! We are so glad you are joining us for this journey through all ten chapters of Ezra over the next couple of weeks. Each day, you will read one chapter of the Bible followed by a short devotional, answer a few questions, and if you want, record any observations or insights using the interactive comments section. We believe God will use this resource to grow our knowledge and affection for Him. We know God’s Word does not return void (Isaiah 55:11). Sign up with a friend, your Life Group, or your family, and let’s dig in!

    Make sure to download our Harris Creek App and turn on push notifications, or visit us at biblereadingplan.org and sign up to receive the BRP in your inbox. Also, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram (@harriscreek) for some fun, creative ways to interact with the readings. 

    Let’s Go, Church!

    Ezra Preview

    The books of Ezra and Nehemiah, much like 1 and 2 Samuel, originally started off as one long story that was eventually split up into two separate books. Ezra, which came first, covers a span of roughly 90 years, beginning in 538 B.C. following the original destruction of the first Jewish temple. After decades of exile in Babylon, it was time for God’s people, the Israelites, to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. Enter Ezra and Nehemiah.

    These two books fall under the category of a historical book, similar to Joshua or 1 and 2 Samuel. Ezra and Nehemiah are interesting reads because they tell us different parts of a story that can, at times, appear somewhat unresolved. While you read, parts may even feel anticlimactic. So why are these two books important? These books give us a guide to revival within God’s people. It’s far too common to let apathy and the desire to go through the motions creep into our lives, our small groups, and our churches. Ezra and Nehemiah both call the people of God towards spiritual revitalization, and there is much we can learn from their stories.

    As we read, grab a journal and take good notes. What do these chapters teach you about God’s character? What does it teach you about humanity? What are the implications for you today? We have said it before, but it’s important to remember the significance of these Old Testament books. Too often we get confused by the Old Testament because some of the names sound funny and because we equate “old” with “irrelevant.” There are so many things we can learn about God and ourselves through the lens of this book. As we read the book of Ezra (and then Nehemiah), start each day with a prayer asking God to open your heart to what you need to learn today. Thanks for reading along with us! 

    Read Ezra 1

    Cyrus Helps the Exiles to Return

    In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

    2 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:

    “‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. 3 Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. 4 And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’”

    5 Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. 6 All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.

    7 Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god. 8 Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.

    9 This was the inventory:

    gold dishes30
    silver dishes1,000
    silver pans29
    10 gold bowls30
    matching silver bowls410
    other articles1,000

    11 In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along with the exiles when they came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

    Go Deeper

    Ezra 1 introduces us to a notable person and a notable group of people. While this book is named after Ezra, we won’t actually meet him until chapter 7. The first person we’re introduced to is King Cyrus, the new Persian king in the first year of his reign. The Jews had lived in exile for decades, and finally, the new king was allowing them to return home. Not only did King Cyrus allow them to return to Jerusalem, he also gave them an important instruction—go rebuild the temple. 

    The notable group of people we meet next are the Israelites—God’s people. For some, this was an answered prayer! For others, the news was met with a shrug. Many were comfortable with their new lives in their new lands. The idea of going to Jerusalem to build a temple wasn’t appealing—they would rather just stay where they were. But for some, Scripture tells us that their hearts were moved (v. 5). Those who were ready to go back to Jerusalem were a minority, but they were a faithful minority. As we have seen time and time again throughout Scripture, you can never underestimate what God can do through a faithful group of people. They loaded up their belongings and made the trek back to Jerusalem to begin working on the task at hand. 

    So, what can we learn from these faithful few? They were obedient when God started moving in their hearts. Oftentimes we feel that same stirring—our hearts are moved—yet we don’t respond with full obedience because it requires us to give up something. While exiled, Israelites built homes and established livelihoods. To return to Jerusalem meant sacrificing comfort and their new normal, but God stirred their hearts and the faithful responded with obedience. As we go about our day today, pay attention to those nudges from God. He could nudge us to pray for a person whose name comes to mind, to call or text a friend, or he could move our hearts to respond to a need. It may not be as drastic as uprooting your family (although it could be), but obedience is God’s expectation every time. 

    Questions

    1. Why do you think so many of the Israelites in exile didn’t want to go back to Jerusalem?
    2. When was the last time God moved your heart? How did you respond? 
    3. What does this chapter teach you about God? What does it teach you about humanity?

    Did You Know?

    Curious why King Cyrus was so willing to send the Israelites home to Jerusalem? According to Josephus, the first century Jewish historian, Cyrus was familiar with the prophecies about him found in Isaiah 44 and 45. Whether or not he was a follower of Yahweh we can’t know for sure, but he had seen enough evidence of God to implore God’s people to rebuild the temple.

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