Write It Down

I had so many dates going around in my head on that day that I wrote in my diary that our appliances would be put in on Thursday, six days later.

Ezra 6:1-22

Reference:  v.2  A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana in the province of Media, and this was written on it: Memorandum… (NIV Bible)

Explore:  We are just at the final stages of building our new house.  It seems like so long ago that we were looking around all the display homes and weighing up the pros and cons of all the designs.  Ten months later, we have the keys to our new home and all that needs to go in are our appliances.  On the day of settlement we told our supervisor when we were moving and asked for him to have the appliances put in on Thursday, six days after settlement.  'No worries,' he said.  I had so many dates going around in my head on that day that I wrote in my diary that our appliances would be put in on Thursday, six days later.  Well, Thursday arrived and I called our supervisor to see when the appliances would be put in.  'Oh,' he said. 'I've made a terrible mistake.  I know you said Thursday and so when I went to book them I hadn't written down the exact date and so I booked them for thirteen days time and not six days time.'  If only he had have written the exact date down we would be able to move in to a house that had an oven and a hot water service!

Application:  I really hate administration but I know that if I don't write things down they will easily get forgotten.  It seems that the Israelites were also fortunate that someone took some notes a few years earlier.  They were trying to rebuild Jerusalem but their enemies were doing their best to stop the progress.  When the current king looked in the archives he found a scroll that not only allowed the Israelites to rebuild Jerusalem but decreed that they be assisted in the process.  We need to be careful that paperwork does not strap us to our desk, however it can be very handy to keep our records up to date so that we can rely on them for future reference.  Whether it is weekly bills or an annual report, it's important to be diligent in the small things as well as the major tasks.

Prayer:  Lord, there are so many menial tasks that we have to do each day.  Help us to see the bigger picture and to be wise in what we spend our time on.  Amen.

What is a daily task that you find difficult to complete?  What would happen if you did not do it?

Ezra