King Cyrus, though a Gentile king, was raised up by Jehovah, anointed by Jehovah, and loved by God (Isa. 48:14). God loves the people that do the things which are on His heart. Cyrus did what was pleasing to God, bringing pleasure to God, by releasing the people of Israel to go to their own country and by charging them to build the city of Jerusalem and the temple!
This is what is on God’s heart – He cares for His people, He cares for the temple of God (His house), and He cares for the city of God (His kingdom)! Whenever we take care of these things, we are loved by God and we cause Him to be pleased! This is what God said about king Cyrus in Isaiah 44:28,
[Thus says Jehovah] Who says to Cyrus, He is My shepherd, And he will fulfill all My desire, Even by saying of Jerusalem, She will be built, And of the temple, Her foundations will be laid.
In Jeremiah 2 God speaks of the bridal love He has for His people Israel, and throughout the book of Jeremiah we see that God is like the Husband and His people is the Bride – there’s a romance between God and His people, and He loves and treasures His people.
Actually, in the entire universe, God is the Husband, and all His redeemed people are His wife (Jer. 3:14). Whenever we or anyone takes care of God’s people and releases them from any captivity, especially from the captivity of Babylon (the mixture in religion, the ordinances and forms, and any religious thing), God loves us!
If we are those who build God’s house – by exercising our spirit to enjoy Christ and experience Christ, even live Christ and speak Christ for the building up of the Body of Christ – God is pleased and happy with us, and we are loved by God!
If we are those who help bring God’s kingdom in and strengthen God’s kingdom on the earth, God loves us and He is delighted! This is what Christ did – He released God’s people from the captivity of Satan and of religion, He brought in God’s kingdom, and He built up God’s house! This is what we also want to do today!
May we be this kind of people – those who are after God’s heart by taking care of the things that please Him! It pleases God to have His people released from any bondage or captivity – released from any religious ordinance or mixture!
It pleases God to have the Body of Christ built up, to have the church being expressed in a strong way in every locality! And it pleases God to have His kingdom being brought in, to have His dominion both in our lives and in our family life, our church life, our social life, and eventually on the whole earth!
In the Old Testament Cyrus did these things that pleased God (he released God’s people from captivity and he charged them to build the city and the temple in Jerusalem), Christ did this in the New Testament, and we are becoming the reproduction and duplication of Christ today!
We want to be those that listen to the Lord’s heart, His heart beat, and see what He desires today – those who see that His heart is for His people, His building, and His kingdom. If we see God’s heart, we will give up our own interest and our own goals and give ourselves to take care for what is on His heart.
[sharing inspired by the portion in the Morning Revival on the Crystallization-Study of Isaiah(2) and the life-study of Isaiah]
Lord, make us such people – those who care for what is on Your heart! Lord Jesus, may we see what You desire to do today, what is in Your heart today! Impart into us the same heart’s desire that You have! Make our heart a duplication of Your heart! May we be the continuation of Christ as the Servant of Jehovah releasing God’s people from any captivity! May we be those who build up God’s house and God’s kingdom on earth today! Lord, gain Your testimony on the earth today, and strengthen the enlargement of Your kingdom on earth!
We need to reign in life
We need to reign in life
Amen!….. PtL!
AMEN…..