Ezra 4:7 In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam and Mithredath and Tabeel and the rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated. Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows: Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the governors, the officials, the Persians, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites, and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River. (This is a copy of the letter that they sent.) “To Artaxerxes the king: Your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations. Now be it known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be impaired. Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king’s dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king, in order that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will find in the book of the records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from of old. That was why this city was laid waste. We make known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River.”
The king sent an answer: “To Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their associates who live in Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River, greeting. And now the letter that you sent to us has been plainly read before me. And I made a decree, and search has been made, and it has been found that this city from of old has risen against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it. And mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, who ruled over the whole province Beyond the River, to whom tribute, custom, and toll were paid. Therefore make a decree that these men be made to cease, and that this city be not rebuilt, until a decree is made by me. And take care not to be slack in this matter. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the king?”
Then, when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their associates, they went in haste to the Jews at Jerusalem and by force and power made them cease. Then the work on the house of God that is in Jerusalem stopped, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Sometimes things just don’t go as planned, do they? Everything seems on track and according to how God is leading you and then BAM ought of nowhere we get punched in the gut. How are we to look and react to these sidetracks? Are we to lose faith in God? Are we to become afraid? Are we to doubt God’s control? Are we to give in to fear, confusion, and being powerless? How can we stand firm when the ground under us is being dug away?
No matter what is going on around us. No matter how bleak our circumstances seem. No matter what the setback is. No matter what we see and hear. GOD IS IN CONTROL! God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and able to do much more than we can imagine. He created galaxies, universes, light and dark, water, every creature, and mankind. He did this by the word of His mouth. He spoke all there is into being. He controls it all with His perfect plans and purposes. He can not be stopped. There is no power that can overcome His might. There is no knowledge that can overcome His wisdom. There is no hatred that can overcome His love for those who are called by Him. There is no darkness that can overcome His light. There is nothing in earth or above that is great than our God.
Remain strong, faithful, trusting, obeying and honoring God in the tasks He is leading you in. He alone is our refuge and hope. Stand firm and rejoice in what God can and will do.