Over the past several weeks, we’ve been walking through Ezra together.
We have seen God move His people out of exile. We have seen the foundation laid. We have also seen opposition come. And along the way, we have seen something that feels very familiar to us.
There were moments when the people of God hesitated.
They started the work, and then they stopped. When opposition came, they stepped back. When things became difficult, they lost momentum. It took time and a word from the Lord to bring them back to what He had called them to do.
By the time we reach Ezra 6, something changes.
The temple is completed, and Scripture gives us a simple explanation:
“The LORD had turned the heart of the king…” (Ezra 6:22, ESV)
God was working in places His people could not see. He was opening doors they could not control.
But what stands out is how the people responded.
When God stirred their hearts again, they stepped back into the work. They did not get it right the first time, but they responded when God moved again.
If we are honest, this is where we often find ourselves.
It is possible to recognize that God is at work and still hesitate. We can see opportunity and remain on the sidelines. We can sense that something is opening and wait for more clarity before taking a step.
Even personally, I have reflected on this.
As a father, as my children have grown, there have been moments when I have looked back and wondered if I recognized everything I should have. There were times I may have missed what God was doing right in front of me. Not because I did not care, but because I was busy, distracted, or simply did not see it clearly in the moment.
The same can be true in ministry.
Opportunities come, sometimes quietly, and it is possible to move past them too quickly or hesitate longer than we should.
Yet even in that, there is grace.
God continues to open doors. He continues to stir hearts. He continues to invite His people into what He is doing.
So the question before us is not whether God is working.
The question is:
Will we recognize it, and will we respond?
At Sparr Baptist Church, we are seeing signs that God is at work. Not always in dramatic ways, but in real opportunities to serve, to invest, and to step into what He is doing both in us and through us.
So this week, do not just acknowledge what God may be doing.
Take one step.
Step into the conversation. Step into the opportunity. Step into the responsibility you already sense in front of you.
Not because everything is clear, but because God is already at work.
When God opens the door, that is not the moment to hesitate.
That is the moment to step in.
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