Worship First

Welcome to Our Daily Bread. I'm Sheridan Voisey and I've called our reading today, Worship First. I'd never planned to start a non-profit organisation about adult friendship. And when I felt called to do so, I had so many questions. How would the charity be financed?

And who should help me build it? My greatest help on these matters ended up coming not from a business book, but a biblical one. The Book of Ezra is essential reading for anyone called by God to build something. Recounting how the Jews rebuilt Jerusalem after their exile, it shows how God provided funds through public donations and government grants, and how both volunteers and contractors did the work. It shows the importance of preparation time with rebuilding not beginning until the second year of the Jews' return. It shows how opposition may come.

But one thing in the story particularly stood out to me. A whole year before building began, the Jews erected the altar. The people worshipped though the foundation of the Lord's temple had not yet been laid. Worship came first. Is God calling you to start something new? Ezra's principle is poignant whether we're starting a charity, a Bible study, a creative project, or some new task at work.

Even a God-given project can take our attention away from Him. So let's focus on God first. Before we work, we worship.

Today's scripture reading is from Ezra chapter 3 verses 1 to 6. When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled together as one in Jerusalem. Then Joshua son of Josadak and his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates, began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices. Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the festival of Tabernacles, with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day. After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the new moon sacrifices, and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred festivals of the Lord, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the Lord.

On the first day of the seventh month, they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, though the foundation of the Lord's temple had not yet been laid. Let's pray together. O Heavenly Father, thank you for the tasks and projects that you give us to do over the course of our lives. And thank you for the story of Ezra and the powerful way that it shows your provision for a God-given vision.

You will provide the funds, the people, and everything else we need to complete it. But before we lay a brick on that brand new project, we worship you as Lord of all. Because before we work, we worship. O Lord, by your Spirit, would you take this message and send it deep into our hearts so that it just becomes part of our being. May we worship before we work. And we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Thanks for listening. I'm Sheridan Voisey and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.