Take Courage and Act

Ezra 7:28 Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.

It was no small or insignificant task that Ezra was taking on.  

He was going to be going back to Israel to help rebuild Jerusalem. He had never been there, most likely having been born in Babylon after the Jews were taken captive by the Babylonians when they conquered the land of Israel. 

He had never done anything like this.  His background was all “wrong” for this task. He was a priest, a direct descendant of the first High Priest Aaron.

But Ezra took a deep breath, so to speak, and jumped right into the task at hand.  "I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me," Ezra tells us.

Where did he get that courage?

That courage to act came from his confidence of one thing: he knew the Lord’s hand was on him and would bring success.  

That gave him the courage to step out and prepare for the journey and the job ahead.  

In fact, earlier in the chapter, in verse 9-10 we are told that the hand of blessing of God was on Ezra specifically because he had set his heart to study, obey, and teach God’s Word.  

That determination gave Ezra what he needed to take on that big task. He knew he had all he needed to carry him through the daunting task that lay ahead for him and his people.

If we know God’s hand is on us for a task, 

     if we have determined to know and obey God's will,

         we can step up and act courageously.  

And do so successfully, because God's hand will be on us with blessing.