Ezra 1:1
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:
God promised that after seventy years in Babylonian captivity, He will come and get Israelites back to their nation. Seventy years were now finished. Babylon was now under the reign of Medo-Persia. A new King Cyrus was just coming into power. Nobody knew him and what decisions he could make. Seventy years were now finished and it was time for God’s promise to be fulfilled. How was God going to fulfill this promise?
In the past, God appointed Moses from a burning bush, Joshua, Samuel, David, etc. Would God appoint someone to lead the war of liberation? Seventy years had strained the people. They were settled down and were not in hurry to go back to Israel and start a nation. Captive land had become home. They were almost okay here.
As seventy years came to an end, nobody was talking of going back home. It seems it was a forgotten case. Those who were promised had lost interest. However, the One who promised was keen on keeping His promise. Therefore He went and moved the heart of the new King to start a process of restoration. Even Cyrus did not have it in the kingdom agenda or political agenda. Cyrus was not responding to any request from any organization or individuals. God just moved his heart. God is a mover of hearts. He moved the heart of Cyrus to set Israelites free. Dear mover of hearts, move my heart!
If God had not moved the heart of Cyrus, Israelites would have stayed in captivity beyond seventy years. That would make God a liar. Though they did not remember. Though they did not agitate for it. Though they did not see an immediate need to rush back home. God kept the promise for His own sake. To establish that He keeps promises even when we forget and lose interest. When it was in nobody’s interest or agenda to have an Israelite nation, God moved the heart of Cyrus to restore the nation of Israel. Dear mover of hearts, move my heart!
When God keeps a promise, He will fulfill it even when you have lost appetite for it. God keeps promises. Even if you don’t set an alarm, God wakes you up, or else you could wake up two days later. God notoriously keeps His promises. Even when we do not pray about it, if He promised, He will keep it. The Bible tells us today that, in order to keep God’s promise, God moved the heart of Cyrus. In order to keep His promise, He moved that heart. Dear mover of hearts, move my heart!
When offended you get angry and you want God to immediately punish your enemies. Many times He doesn’t act immediately because He gives a chance to your enemies to reform. After some waiting for God to strike your enemies with thunder and He doesn’t you lose interest in that revenge and time relieves the pain somehow. When you have forgotten and reconciled with that misfortune, God will at the right time still revenge as He promised you in His word. God notoriously keeps His promises. He will keep His promises, even when we lose interest and forget. He will keep that promise. Your enemies will not go peacefully to their graves before tasting the wrath of God.
When you offend people and you feel guilty and shame then after some time you forget and normalize the evil you did, be careful. There is a God who doesn’t forget. Some day after you have forgotten and even after those you hurt have forgotten, God will come and balance the books of justice by revenging on behalf of your victims. He will keep His promises to ensure your grandchildren avoid your evil ways. He notoriously keeps His promises. When all is calm and you think you scored, seek God and seek repentance, He doesn’t forget. He will do it for His own sake to prove that He keeps promises.
God who doesn’t forget His promises to bless and punish, remembered His promise to restore Israel. For His own sake, He moved the heart of Cyrus to fulfill His will of recreating the nation of Israel. Cyrus wrote a letter authorizing all people who wish to rebuild Israel to go and do so. King Cyrus a foreign heathen king even offered material assistance and security to whoever will go and rebuild Jerusalem. Why was Cyrus being so kind to Israel? Were Israelites now nice people? No! He was being prompted by the mover of hearts. Dear mover of hearts, move my heart!
Heart refers to the emotional seat of a person and not the organ that pumps blood. God caused Cyrus to emotionally embark on this assignment. He did it passionately. He was more passionate than even the Israelites. Why was he passionate? God had moved his heart into this noble duty. I pray that God moves my heart to fulfill some noble duties. Dear mover of hearts, move my heart!
There are people whose help we need and who will never help us unless God moves their hearts. May God move their hearts in our favor even today. There are things we will never do or may not do properly unless we are passionate unless God moves our hearts. May God move our hearts to accomplish such tasks. Dear mover of hearts, do it, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
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Amen & Amen.
Mover of hearts, move mine
Mine too!
Amen..
Amen
Amen!
May He move my heart today.
Amen!
Move my heart Lord God in Jesus name, amen.
Thank you my Pastor my friend. God bless you.
Be blessed my good friend!
May God move my heart ,Amen
Amen!