As I reflected upon this verse there were so many different things that I could have touched on.  This proclamation by King Cyrus of Persia was the fulfillment of a prophecy given by Isaiah.  The prophecy was so specific that it mentioned Cyrus by name before he was born.  The previous verse mentions that God stirred Cyrus’ heart.  We sometimes overlook the fact that God can touch the hearts of those who are not believers.  What struck me about this verse is what God stirred Cyrus’ heart to do; to build God a temple.

The first temple was built by Solomon.  Cyrus is here ordering the construction of the second temple.  This temple was later renovated and the temple mount was built around it by another unbeliever –  Herod the Great.  This second temple is the one that Jesus visited some 500 later.  The second temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.  A third temple is predicted in Scripture to be built in the end days in a terrible period of time known as the Tribulation.

As a pastor of a small church that currently meets in an elementary school, this verse encourages me.  From a human standpoint it is impossible for us to buy a piece of land and build a church.  There simply is not enough money.  The Jews coming out of the exile were in exactly the same position.  There were not very many of them and they did not have a lot of resources to work with.  They had to rebuild their whole country.  Without God’s intervention, the temple might never have been built.

It is going to take God’s direct intervention in the hearts of people with resources for our church to find itself in a building that it can call its own.  As most people would do I would pray and ask God to send someone, a Christian, to the church who would catch the vision of what we are doing and want to help see it come to life.  I was praying too small.  God has the sovereign ability to control anything and anyone.  My prayer is now that God would send whoever He is preparing to do this work.

God can operate through unbelievers just as easily as He can through believers.  We need to trust Him to accomplish His work using His methods and not our own.  What great thing has God called you to do?  Maybe God is preparing a Cyrus to help it happen.  We need to keep our eyes open and be prepared to work even when the work seems impossible.  It is impossible to you, but it is not impossible to God.  Jesus, help us to learn that Your power is greater than our dreams.

Read: Ezra 1:1-2:70; 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5; Psalm 27:7-14; Proverbs 20:22-23