At a Loss for Words

At a Loss for Words
And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments.—Ezra 9: 10
Just fifty-seven years after God—through Cyrus—released them from captivity so they could return to Jerusalem, rebuild the temple, and resume their worship of Him, Israel had already turned back to the very things God had previously judged them for. When Ezra heard the disturbing news, his heart sank. The people had not separated themselves from those around them, but were instead doing according to their abominations.
Ezra couldn’t believe the people could so quickly forget God. Shocked, and at a loss for words, he prayed, “Lord, I don’t have any excuses. What can I say?” Though Ezra couldn’t find words to speak to God, he had quite a few words for the people—words of warning and correction in which he called for a very strict and radical reform.
He called for a total separation of God’s people from those things of the world that would pollute, dilute, or defile their witness. As Christians, we must do the same.
**We must make some radical decisions concerning separation from the world and its pollution.
The enemy has declared open war against God. Are we just going to sit by and let our Lord be blasphemed? Or will we separate ourselves from the world, rise up, and take a stand for Jesus?
By our silence, Lord, we have encouraged the enemy. Help us to stand in Your strength in this all-out war that the enemy has declared against You. Lord, be our strength, be our fortress, be our help. In Jesus’ name. Amen
Sent from my iPad