daily reading 40.4 (Ezra 9:8–9)

5-days-a-week through Daniel and other late OT books in 2023

Our opening prayer for this week:

By grace I’m saved, grace free and boundless,
My soul, believe and doubt it not.
Why waver at this word of promise?
Has Scripture ever falsehood taught?
So then this word must true remain:
By grace you too shall heaven obtain.

By grace God’s Son, our only Savior, 
Came down to earth to bear our sin.
Was it because of your own merit
That Jesus died your soul to win?
No it was grace, and grace alone,
That brought him from his heavenly throne.

By grace! Oh, mark this word of promise
When you are by your sins oppressed,
When Satan plagues your troubled conscience,
And when your heart is seeking rest.
What reason cannot comprehend
God by his grace to you did send.
 
By grace to timid hearts that tremble,
In tribulation’s furnace tried—
By grace, despite all fear and trouble,
The Father’s heart is open wide.
Where could I help and strength secure
If grace were not my anchor sure?

By grace! On this I’ll rest when dying;
In Jesus’ promise I rejoice.
For though I know my heart’s condition,
I also know my Savior’s voice.
My heart is glad; all grief has flown
Since I am saved by grace alone. Amen.

 

Ezra 9:8–9

• "But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the LORD our God to preserve a remnant for us and give us a stake in his holy place. Even in our slavery, God has given us a little relief and light to our eyes.
• 9 "Though we are slaves, our God has not abandoned us in our slavery. He has extended grace to us in the presence of the Persian kings, giving us relief, so that we can rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem."

Helpful notes on Ezra 9:8–9 

 

For yourself pray:

• That God does not abandon you

For others pray:

• That God gives grace to his church everywhere to rebuild what time and neglect has ruined

A psalm to listen to and ponder, as time allows:

• Psalm 119:17–24 (gimel)  (YouTube, duet)