God has a calling on each man’s life. Furthermore, He enables men to fulfill their appointed work. Man, however, must be strong and DO the work.
Change often results in fear. As such, it must be met with strength. Failure to do so can breed panic that only God's strength can overcome.
Most Christians would consider biblical fasting a very unpleasant undertaking. Considering the complexities of the affliction offered by fasting might better help to understand its value. In our passage, the people of God determined to fast so that they might afflict themselves before the Lord. Several other passages discuss this affliction in even more detail. Isaiah 58:3 and 5 describes the affliction as not merely an affliction of the flesh, but also an affliction of the soul. Additionally, we learn that fasting humbles (Psalm 35:13) and chastens (Psalm 69:10) the soul. Fasting involves much more than merely opposition to one’s flesh. Fasting directly afflicts, chastens, and humbles the soul. Perhaps this is why it is so difficult to fast and so beneficial to do so.
The book of Ezra provides the details concerning the time when the Israelites returned to their land to rebuild the temple. As they began to build, adversaries within the land became jealous. They did not want the people of God regaining their strength and restoring their true form of worship. The adversaries hired counsellers against the people of God in order to stop the work. Unfortunately, some things never change. Our work may not involve rebuilding a temple, but God's work always has a purpose that the enemy will seek to undermine. Christians should not be surprised when the Devil sends people into our lives who offer counsel contrary to God's will. God's enemies may even seek to hire counsellers to deter us from what we should be doing.
