READING: Ezra 6:14-22, Ezra 4:6, Esther 1:1-4:17
Following Christ often means standing alone for Him in the midst of an unbelieving world. Some of our brothers and sisters around the world face this reality every day, and some will be imprisoned or will die today because of their stance for Christ. All of us, though, must decide to stand for Him regardless of what’s happening around us.
Ezra 6 records the story of the returned exiles celebrating the Passover together, and that group included “all who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the Gentiles of the land in order to worship the Lord, the God of Israel” (Ezra 6:21). This latter group may have been Jews who had never left the land in the first place, or they may have been proselytes who turned to the God of the Hebrews. In either case, they were folks who “separated themselves” from the unbelief around them. We must make a similar choice.
Our separating ourselves from others does not mean, however, that we choose to neglect or ignore relationships with non-believers—in fact, we must initiate evangelism with them—but it does mean we are to live differently. We are to choose to be light no matter how deep is the darkness around us.
PERSONAL REFLECTION: Are you being light in the darkness today?
DAILY PRAYER: “God, pull me from uncleanness, but let me be a witness for You at the same time.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Esther 5:1-10:3
