He began the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month and arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month since the gracious hand of his God was on him. Ezra 7:9 HCSB
God has richly blessed me with a wonderful, loving, and supportive wife, four great children who love the Lord, two fantastic sons-in-law, a godly daughter-in-law, and two beautiful grandchildren. I have also been blessed to serve at mission-minded churches, the Missouri Baptist Convention, and Lifeway Christian Resources. There have been opportunities for me to teach Sunday School Leadership conferences in many states and to participate in mission trips around the world. God has been very good to me. It feels as though the gracious hand of God has been upon me.
God used Ezra to lead approximately 40,000 people cross country on foot to a new home. Just imagine the number of people including men, women, and children, not to mention the number of animals that accompanied them. Each day they traveled, prepared food, and set up tents for lodging at night. The gracious hand of God was upon him and protected the people as they traveled. Ezra and the Israelites made the trip safely to Jerusalem in only four months without any military escort.
Challenge: Pray for the gracious hand of God to be upon you. Ask for His blessings as you seek to serve Him and follow His perfect plan for your life.