Purpose Study Bible 332: Organizing Your World

When the exiles returned to Jerusalem, we read

This was the inventory: ... In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along with the exiles when they came up from Babylon to Jerusalem (Ezra 1:9, 11).

God was moving and the people were too, but they had a big job ahead of them. They had to organize their travels, not just arranging for their own transport but also bringing the things that belonged to the house of God in Jerusalem. Someone had to count, pack, load, and unload 5,400 things like dishes, pans, and bowls—some of them being quite heavy.

At some point, you also have to address how you're going to organize the work God has given you. You have family, business, ministry, and personal responsibilities to manage, along with your time, money, and possessions. If you don’t organize well, it becomes difficult for God to increase your responsibilities because you're not yet ready to manage more. That's why goal setting and time management are two of the Goldmine Principles that lead to a productive life.

How well are you organizing and structuring your world? Can you handle more? Do you want to handle more? Where do you need help? Are you using your disorganization as a means to keep your world small because you don't want any additional responsibility?

When God moved in Ezra, it wasn't just a spiritual revival; it was also a movement that required attention to detail and strategy. The same will be true for you as you embrace your creative purpose. Are you ready to structure your life in such a way that God can trust you with the things that are most important to Him?