We must have assurance in God's help!

The edict that God moved the heart of the Persian emperor Cyrus

to promulgate throughout the land states,

‘Wherever a Jew lives, when he returns, his neighbors will help him

and give him silver, gold, and other necessary things.

Give them animals and gifts for the temple of God in Jerusalem’

(Ezra 1:4, Modern Bible).

When I meditate on this passage,

when Moses brought the Israelites out of Egypt at the time of the Exodus,

the children of Israel asked the Egyptians for gold and silver jewelry

and clothing as Moses had instructed,

and the Lord said that the Egyptians would give the Israelites,

I was reminded of the words, “He made them feel good about them

and gave them what they asked for,

so the Israelites almost took away everything the Egyptians had (12:35-36).

When I meditated on these two Bible verses in relation to each other,

I came to the idea that our God not only helps us,

but also touches the hearts of our neighbors

so that they feel good towards us, so that they help us.

In this way, God is a God who helps us

even through people we cannot expect or even expect.

Therefore, we are taught that we must have assurance in God's help.