When we read the narratives of Luke 18 in context we find that there is an intentional teaching point throughout the string of stories. Are we putting our faith in our abilities, our faithfulness, or in Christ, the Son of God?

The proper strategy for facing challenges is different for believers than for the world. Rather than being left to our own abilities, our victories result from a commitment that shapes all of life around the reality of the Sovereign God. Preparation BEFORE battle is the key!

For most Americans, life is busy. But life is different for the children of God. While our lives look similar to our secular counterparts, God has invited us to experience supernatural moments as He empowers us to share the good news of the gospel. But if we are not careful, we will miss it and find ourselves being lovingly corrected by our Master.

Sixty years passed from the stirring preaching of Haggai and Zechariah until the arrival of the second wave of returnees. The Temple is now built, but the people desperately need encouragement. Enter Ezra—a scribe descended from Aaron, he arrives to nurture the community in the ways and Word of God. Likewise, we must see the spiritual realities behind our circumstances.

After sixteen depressing years with no expectation that life would ever get better, God offers Judah a fresh start. The first post-exilic prophet, Haggai, calls the people to stop and consider their lives so that the future is not limited by the realities of the past. If life has stopped paying dividends for you, consider investing your life in the work of God.

The intention of the Jews to rebuild their Temple and the city of Jerusalem quickly became known and it inspired heated animosity from the surrounding peoples. Opposition to God’s people succeeded for a time, but history ultimately unfolds according to divine plan. It is faith in the certainty of God’s purpose that sustains His people in hostile times.

Ezra tells the story of the work, led by Zerubbabel, to rebuild the house of God. The project would take decades to complete, marked by both highs and lows. Only careful attention to the Word of God and the intentional practice of praise would bring them through. This survival strategy for God’s people remains unchanged even today. 

It is easy today—far too easy—to settle into a comfortable, routine Christianity, where our souls no longer thirst for God “in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Ps. 63:1). Hearts grow dull and our vision of God is gradually blurred. What we need (and what our culture needs) is personal, church, and national spiritual renewal. Where to begin?

It is easy to waste life on small plans—to blunder through our days without direction, busy yet getting nowhere. A person without purpose makes no progress in life, even when circumstances seem favorable. They simply put in time. Jesus-followers are called to a noble life, a godly life, a life that highlights the glory of Christ.

Paul’s discussion of the final doom of the man of lawlessness leads naturally to consideration of the destiny of Christian believers (very different from that crowd of nonsensical thinkers discussed earlier). His pastoral affection for his people comes through loud and clear as he speaks intimately to this family of faith.