When Activity Replaces Renewal

It’s possible to be surrounded by religious activity and still be drifting from God. That was the reality in Israel sixty years after the temple had been rebuilt. The structure stood firm, but the people’s hearts had slowly wandered. God didn’t respond by sending a builder—He sent Ezra, a man called to restore obedience, worship, and trust through the Word of God.

Zerubbabel rebuilt the place of worship. Ezra came to restore the practice of worship. The distinction matters. A building can be present while spiritual vitality is absent. Israel had rituals without understanding and worship without instruction—an easy trap for God’s people in any generation.

Ezra 7:10 gives us the blueprint: Ezra set his heart to know God’s Word, live it, and teach it. Renewal didn’t begin with new programs or increased activity; it began with a prepared leader shaped by Scripture. Ezra trusted God fully, yet he planned carefully—fasting, praying, selecting leaders, and handling God’s resources with integrity.

The lesson is clear. Spiritual renewal always begins with the Word of God. God uses prepared people, not perfect ones. And trusting God never means passivity—it means responsible obedience while depending entirely on Him. The question isn’t whether we’re busy with spiritual things, but whether we’re being shaped by God Himself.

Press on!

Pastor Brian Richard