Day 252

1 Chronicles 3:19b-24; Ezra 2:1-4:5.  “How Big is Our God?”

         It’s fascinating to review the fulfillment of a prophecy.  Isaiah (chs. 44,45,48) prophesied that God would use a man named Cyrus to guarantee the return of Israel’s remnant and that Jerusalem and the Temple would be rebuilt.  That was 150 years before Cyrus was even born!  Now in 538 BC Cyrus releases the captives.  What an exciting day it had to be as 50,000 Israelites headed home.  That would be a wonderful event to remember and celebrate.
         The Israelites celebrated the Festival of Shelters shortly after they settled in.  What kind of things do we celebrate?  Do we celebrate fulfillments to prophecy?  We celebrate the birth and the resurrection of Christ, definite fulfillments to prophecy. 
         Part of celebrating God making good on a promise is the wonder of the fulfillment.  How big does God have to be to make a vision or prophecy come true?  How powerful does He have to be to make things come to pass in His specific timing?  How compassionate does He have to be to care about bringing things to pass for our good?  Are you gripped in wonder and awe of God?

General Questions for each day:
Summarize the day’s Bible passage in your own words.
What thoughts, actions, attitudes or beliefs are addressed in the passage?
How is the Holy Spirit leading you to apply this passage to your life today?