Praise the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who made the king [Artaxerxes] want to beautify the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem! And praise him for demonstrating such unfailing love to me by honoring me before the king, his council, and all his mighty nobles! I felt encouraged because the gracious hand of the Lord my God was on me. And I gathered some of the leaders of Israel to return with me to Jerusalem. [Ezra 7.27-28]
Here is an interesting turn of events. Only just before this, Ezra recorded that king Artaxerxes had determined that Jerusalem was a hotbed of insurrection (see Ezra 4.7-23)!
The key is that through his relationship with one man, Ezra, that king Artaxerxes' heart and mind were changed by God.
What a difference a single relationship can make!
Father, help me to understand the importance of a single relationship and what You can do with it!
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