July 4, 2015 … HIS - STORY Unfolds

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2015 - Day 185

Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK  … Please take the time to take in a video of Daniel O’Donnell singing Here I Am Lord, crying out to go where He leads, especially in times of oppression, confusion, and pain.

Highlight Passage Ezra 1: 1 [ESV] … 
1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: … 
… Cyrus, prodded by God’s Spirit, made a proclamation to free God’s remnant in Persia to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild their temple.
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Highlight Context - Ezra 1: 1-7 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …
… God moves Cyrus to proclaim freedom for the remnant of believers in Persia (i.e., formerly Babylon)
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Reference Passage #1 - Proverbs 12: 1 [ESV] … 
2 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; … HE turns it wherever He wills. 
 … The reality of God’s sovereignty in the reign of kings on this earth

Reference Passage #2 - Isaiah 44: 24-28, 45: 1 [ESV] … USE THIS LiNK …
... Isaiah prophesies God’s deliverance by “CYRUS,” … by name.

Reference Passage #3 - Daniel 9: 1-17 [ESV] … USE THIS LINK …
... Daniel’s prayer for God’s mercy to set His people free which was answered in the proclamation of King Cyrus (see Ezra 1 above).

Reference Passage #4 - Romans 8: 28 [NKJV] … 
28 … All things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are the called according to His purpose. 
… The reality of God’s sovereignty in the reign of kings on this earth

My Journal for Today: Today’s Our Daily Bread author, Dave Branon, in his ODB teaching, wrote of the archeological discovery of the “Cyrus cylinder,” unearthed in 1879, revealing a clay cylinder [see attached photo] with a proclamation from King Cyrus, declaring the freedom of God’s people and his release of the Jews to return to Jerusalem from Persia to rebuild their temple; and all of this is found in the Old Testament, either in prophesy from Isaiah or in history, found in the writings of Ezra or Daniel (see above).

 All of this is archeological confirmation of the Bible’s veracity and God’s wondrous works in the channeling of history as GOD’S STORY and His ultimate plan for the redemption of His children, the Jews, as well as for all mankind with Christ’s finished work on the cross (i.e., New Testament). All of this should give any believer confidence in God’s truth [i.e., the Bible] and His plan for mankind … as well as His control of all things in the past, present, and future.

 The Bible tells it all; … and it all has and will take place. So we go forth, trusting God and His plan to work out ALL things for our good (see Romans 8: 28).

My Prayer Today: Oh Lord, … I trust in You; … because You control all things for my good. Amen

Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.