Ezra 8: 21-23
There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask Him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.
I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to Him, but His great anger is against all who forsake Him.
So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and He answered our prayer.
Ezra weighed out as much silver and gold and polished bronze that would be worth about $20 million today to twelve of his trusted leading priests, and entrusted them with this great wealth to safeguard and carry it all the way to Jerusalem to be counted out again at the Temple (Vs. 24-30).
This is exceptional faith in God to protect them on this 4-month journey carrying such great wealth, to not even ask the king who would have given them lots of bodyguards and protection from robbers and enemies they could encounter on that long road. They bragged on God, so they couldn't turn around and ask for the king's protection. So they prayed and fasted and depended on God. And God did protect them.
When they arrived in Jerusalem, they counted out all the treasure, and recorded it all by number and by weight, and it was all there (V. 34). God came through.
O my Father, You are totally trustworthy! Even though Ezra may have felt for a while that he'd "shot himself in the foot" by bragging on You, they humbled themselves before You to depend only on You for this dangerous journey, travelling through these territories with such great treasure!
Because they humbled themselves and asked, You answered by putting Your protection over them so that no enemies and no robbers attacked them to take that treasure.
This is a wonderful doing, Father, that You did for Your people who were obeying You to return to their ancestral home, the land You originally gave them.
You will always protect those who obey You and ask specifically for Your help to accomplish what they couldn't on their own, of what You've told them to do. You draw us to depend utterly on You, Father.
O my Father, continue to teach me to trust You utterly, to seek Your face constantly in all that I do, and to accomplish all that You made me to perform, even those things I am not able to do, but that You will do in and through me.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
