As Ezra prepared to leadΒ Godβs people back to the PromisedΒ Land after the BabylonianΒ captivity, he had plenty of moneyΒ to buy animals for sacrifice inΒ the newly rebuilt temple (EzraΒ 7:11-17), but no Levites to offerΒ them (8:15).
This reminds me of the situationΒ in our own day. GraceΒ churches frequently have enoughΒ money to serve the Lord, but noΒ men willing to offer their bodiesΒ as βa living sacrificeβ to God (Rom. 12:1). Will you be such a man, willingΒ to serve Him in the ministry? Iβm reminded of the Lordβs lamentΒ to men of God in Ezekielβs day:
βYe have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedgeΒ for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORDβΒ (Ezek. 13:5).
As grace pastors retire and others go to be with the Lord, there areΒ always going to be gaps that need to be filled in the front lines of theΒ battle for truth. If God is speaking to your heart about championingΒ the cause of Paulβs gospel, why not say with Isaiah, βHere am I; sendΒ meβ (Isa. 6:8). source
