28 April | Teens
Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,…And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. Ezra 4: 4, 5
Imagine that you are building an amazing sandcastle, the “biggest in the world.” You go out to get something and, all of a sudden, someone comes and tries to knock it down. Frustrating, right? In the Bible, in Ezra 4, the people of Israel faced something similar. They were trying to rebuild the Temple of God, a place more than important to them, but outsiders came to try to stop the construction. These people didn't want the Temple to be rebuilt, so they did everything they could to get in the way, from telling lies to scaring those who were working on the rebuilding.
But do you know what the people Israel did? They didn't give up. Not only did they continue to build the wall, but they also worked with a weapon at their side, ready to protect themselves from any threat. Just like them, we face our own daily battle. Sometimes we encounter opposition and people who don't like us for no reason. But remember this funny phrase: “It's okay if you don't like me or what I do, no one is obligated to have good taste.” Like the Israelites, we also need to have a sword in our hands, the Sword that is the Word of God, to find strength and comfort in the midst of these difficulties that life presents to us.
Take Action
Challenge yourself to draw a picture with your non-dominant hand (such as your left), even if it seems too difficult. This demonstrates that, even when facing difficulties, we can develop new skills and overcome obstacles with persistence and determination.