Ezra 1:5 (ESV): 5 Then rose up the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem.
Going back home from captivity can be a difficult endeavor. Guilt and shame may make us feel unworthy of returning. Yet, we shouldn’t allow anything to stop us from coming home. God is calling you home… return!
After the Lord stirred the heart of King Cyrus to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, He also stirred the hearts of His people to return. This was the precursor to the fulfillment of Daniel 9:25, which would come by the command of Artaxerxes in 458 BC. The leaders of Judah prepared to return home after seventy years of captivity. However, not everyone was ready to return. Some had grown accustomed to life in Babylon and desired to stay. Only a small remnant returned home (Isa 10:22).
How difficult do you find it to return home after departing? Sin leads us away from God, and it can keep us away. When we find ourselves in foreign places in our hearts, held captive by our sins, the right move is to repent and return. God is waiting with open arms. Don’t get comfortable in a place that is not called home. Return to the Lord, and He will restore you. The Lord is waiting—will you come home?
Father, we thank You for allowing us to return to You, even after we’ve sinned. You are so forgiving! May we be quick to recognize our captivity, repent, and return home. Let us not grow comfortable anywhere else, we pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
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