Ezra 7:21-24  Part of the letter from Artaxerxes, the king of Persia, authorizing Ezra to go to Jerusalem and take anyone who wishes to go with him, in order to return to worship and to sacrifice to their God in his house in Jerusalem. Artaxerxes decrees that all the treasurers in the Province Beyond the River are to give Ezra whatever he requires - up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred cores of wheat, one hundred baths of wine and oil, and salt without measure. Further, whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done in full "lest his wrath be against the realm of the king and his sons." Finally, Artaxerxes decalres it unlawful to impose tribute, taxes, or tolls on any of the priests or other servants of the house of God.

So often in the Old Testament God inspires foreign kings, and all kinds of foreigners, to see his greatness and bend to it, even if they do not worship him, as Artaxerxes does here. This happens when God's people act in the way he wants them to act. Artaxerxes' letter and orders are only possible because Ezra was willing to obey God in the first place - to listen to what God wanted him to do and to do it. It was not easy for Ezra, nor is it easy for any of us, but God knew what he was doing, and Ezra allowed God to work through him.

We must do this everyday, every moment, if we want to change the world. Our only objective for change should be to create the world that God as God wants it to be - that is, to build the Kingdom of God. Since we are not God and we do not know his plan, nor how best to bring this about, the only way we can do it is by placing ourselves 100% at God's disposal. Every morning I ask him to show me what he wants me to do that day, give me the wisdom to see it, and the grace and the courage to do it.

I do not always see a change, more often than not I do not. But I know he is working through me when I put myself at his disposal.