“AND ALL THESE BLESSINGS SHALL COME UPON YOU AND OVERTAKE YOU, BECAUSE YOU OBEY THE VOICE OF THE LORD YOUR GOD.” (DEUTERONOMY 28:2, NKJV)

Allow me to start today’s devotional with a bold but true statement: God wants to bless His people-spiritually and practically. Years ago as I was praying God whispered this to my heart: "For the VISION in your heart, I will always bring PROVISION - if you put me first!"

God doesn’t want you to barely scrape by with only enough to survive. Though we can all go through difficult seasons, He wants you to be blessed to be a blessing to those relationships around you!

Ezra experienced this firsthand when he led the second group of exiles out of Babylon. He knew of the possible dangers along the road from Babylon to Jerusalem, so he stopped, camped, and proclaimed a three-day fast with all the people at the river of Ahava.

When Ezra was confronted with a situation of facing the unknown and in need of divine help, He committed himself to a fast just like you have.

Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. Ezra 8:21, NKJV

God answered his prayer and delivered the people! “And the hand of our God was upon us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road” (v. 31).