“Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,
and he shall fulfill all my purpose.’”
“Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him
and to loose the belts of kings,
to open doors before him
that gates may not be closed:
‘I will go before you
and level the exalted places,
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
and cut through the bars of iron,
I will give you the treasures of darkness
and the hoards in secret places,
that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
For the sake of my servant Jacob,
and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name,
I name you, though you do not know me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other,
besides me there is no God;
I equip you, though you do not know me,
that people may know,… that there is none besides me;
I am the Lord, and there is no other…
I have stirred him up in righteousness,
and I will make all his ways level;
he shall build my city
and set my exiles free…’
says the Lord of hosts.” Isaiah 44:28-45:6,13
“In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord… might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:
“’Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem… Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem,.. and rebuild the house of the Lord.” Ezra 1:1-3
“The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will.” Proverbs 21:1
Kings and kingdoms of earth come and go, but there is one King like none other who rules them all whether they know Him or not. Two centuries before Cyrus would be enthroned in Persia, God’s prophet named this heathen king and spoke of his God-appointed calling to act for the hope and benefit of Israel. God’s foreknowledge and power to perform melded promise and fulfillment to propel His plan forward. All He says He brings to pass, all He appoints He anoints and equips to accomplish His purpose for His renown.
How do we begin our days? Self-scheduling, or seeking God’s plans and how we can participate? Where is God calling us to serve or contribute to His cause, even among others not aware of His hand? Are we reticent due to fear or insecurity, feelings of inferiority or insufficiency? Would we instead ask and trust Him for a fresh stirring of His Spirit unto desire and joyful obedience? “He who calls is faithful; he will surely do it.” (Ezra 1:5-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:24)
What might God be calling us to finish or set aside in order to move forward wholeheartedly in a new direction? What time, talents, and resources will we offer? How will we encourage others in His work?
Lord, may I receive Your appointments with Your anointing, that You be known and praised.
As the rain and snow 