FRIDAY, APRIL 20
Scripture: Isaiah 45:1-3

In Isaiah 45:1-3 we are told, “Thus says the Lord to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held— To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut: ‘I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the Lord, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel.” Cyrus had a very specific purpose and that was to restore Jerusalem from their captivity and send Israel home. That meant rebuilding the temple and all that was involved. The interesting thing about this passage is to note the relationship between God’s purpose and the power that brings that purpose to pass. God gave Cyrus the treasures of darkness, the hidden riches in secret places. He even made the crooked places straight. And any gates of bronze (meaning Babylon) that he faced, God promised to break them down. He promised Cyrus could walk right in and take over. Have we discovered our God-given purpose? Arresting evil is part of gaining a harvest. What will God give us in order to bring in the end-time harvest? He gave the entire city of Babylon to Cyrus to set the Jewish people free. What will God do for us to populate the New Jerusalem with Living Stones? God’s creative Hand is available. We are being invited to move it!