Daily Devotions with Pastor Jim Cymbala

Following God doesn’t mean we won’t face opposition—it often means we will. In Ezra 3:3 God’s people set up the altar and began to worship despite their fear of those around them, showing us that obedience requires courage to keep doing God’s work even when we face resistance.

In Ezra 3:2, before they built the temple, God’s people first rebuilt the altar and restored their worship. Today we don’t need a physical altar or a specific place to worship God—He desires worshipers who worship in Spirit and truth. True worship is more than tradition or routine; it flows from a heart fully surrendered to God.

In the Bible, God’s people returned from exile and began rebuilding the temple to restore worship and honor God. Today we are God’s dwelling place—living stones being built into a spiritual house—and Jesus has called us not only to receive salvation but to do the work of the Lord. Are we simply attending church, or are we actively helping build the church of Jesus Christ?

Rebuilding is always harder than building from scratch, but God does His greatest work when restoring what is broken. When the exiles returned to Jerusalem, family leaders gave generously according to their ability so that the hard work of restoration could begin. Just as God works in us to heal our brokenness and make us a new creation, He also calls us to give freely to His work—knowing that whatever we surrender for His kingdom is never lost but truly gained.

True belonging in Christ comes from being born again and filled with the Spirit of Jesus. In Ezra’s day, leaders verified legitimate priestly identity before allowing anyone to partake of holy things, preventing unqualified leadership from causing harm. Modern churches cannot compromise standard biblical truth or dilute what it means to belong to God’s priesthood. As true believers, we are called to stand grounded in our faith and serve God faithfully as priestly worshipers.