And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. Ezra 3:11
Have you ever built something before? Ever built something specifically for Jesus?
In our Bible passage today, the people of God (the Israelites who had recently returned from their exile in Babylon) gathered in Jerusalem and began to rebuild the temple of the Lord.
A prophet at that time, a man named Zechariah said this, “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey – riding on a donkey’s colt.”
They didn’t know it at the time, but the solid rock foundation they were putting into place would one day become the temple Jesus himself would enter hundreds of years later during his time of ministry here on earth.
This simple illustration of Jesus entering a temple built long ago invites us to ponder a very simple question: What are you building today, that Jesus will use in the future?
Maybe you’re not building a physical structure, but you might be building a relationship now that Jesus plans to use in the future!
The people of God could have very well been content just to return to their homes, and once again live free in the land God had promised them all those years ago. But instead, they chose to use their newly rediscovered freedom to honor God. They dedicated their time, energy, resources, and lives to honoring God by laying this foundation for him to use!
Today, you have the same opportunity to dedicate your life to Jesus. No matter what you’re building (a friendship, a family, a career, a home, a new skill, etc.) be sure to give it to God, all for his glory!
It’s amazing what God can do when we build a foundation for him!