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Ezra & Nehemiah: Following God’s Call Even When It’s Costly

A FREE study of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah in the First 5 mobile app, starting March 30

What if the struggle isn’t a setback — it’s what God is using to shape you?

Have you ever stepped out in faith only to find that the path in front of you feels harder, slower, or more confusing than you expected? You’re trying to follow God … but obstacles, delays, and discouragement keep showing up in the story.

Ezra and Nehemiah knew this feeling well. God stirred them to rebuild what was broken — yet every step forward required courage, perseverance, and trust that His hand was still on them when the work felt costly.

Their story reminds us of something we forget too easily:
Difficulty doesn’t mean God has left us.
Difficulty is often where He forms us.

That’s the heartbeat of Ezra & Nehemiah: Following God’s Call Even When It’s Costly — a six-week journey and gentle, hope-filled invitation to rebuild what has felt worn down in your faith.

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Today’s Teaching

Complete for Every Good Work

Catherine Martinez

Day: 30 | Plan: 40 Days Through the New Testament

Start Here: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Key Verse: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV) "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."

Major Moment: Paul wrote that all Scripture is inspired by God to equip us for every good work.

Thousands of years after it was written, the Bible remains relevant. In fact, a recent article in the Wall Street Journal reported that Bible sales are up by 22% in the United States, with many sales coming from first-time buyers and young people.

The human heart will always crave Truth. And the Truth of Scripture is timeless because it comes from the Creator of time Himself. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, we learn that because God's Word is inspired by His Spirit, it completes and equips us with all we need to live fruitful lives that honor God and declare the gospel.

The book of 2 Timothy is sometimes considered Paul's "last will and testament," as these were his last recorded words before he was martyred in Rome around A.D. 64-65. He was writing to Timothy, whom he considered a spiritual son (2 Timothy 1:2), with final instructions and wisdom for remaining faithful to God's Word and avoiding false teaching. Paul didn't have material wealth to leave as an inheritance, but he had something far better: the good news of Jesus Christ.

Timothy had been "acquainted with the sacred writings" of the Old Testament since his childhood (2 Timothy 3:15), and Paul reassured Timothy that these Scriptures were sufficient and effective. The New Testament was also being written during Timothy's lifetime, and the first Gospel accounts, recorded as early as A.D. 40, may have already been circulating among first-century churches along with letters and writings by Paul and other apostles.

What Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16 both reiterated the authority of existing Scripture and prophetically affirmed what we now know as the New Testament: "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness ..."

The phrase "breathed out by God" means the Holy Spirit divinely inspired the biblical writers to speak His words. So the Bible has divine authority, contains ultimate Truth, and has the power to transform lives. It is sufficient for teaching and discipleship, exposing sin and correcting error.

And the purpose of all Scripture is "that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:17). The Greek word for "complete" here can also mean "able to meet demands," and "equipped" means "to make something useful or suitable." As a church leader, Timothy would face many demands, but with the inspired words of the Holy Spirit, he had everything he needed to continue the Lord's work.

The same is true for us today. The Bible is God's revelation to us about Himself. It reminds us that He wants us to know Him and to be sure of what He has called us to do. Like Timothy, when we focus our hearts and minds on Scripture, we will be prepared to share our faith, serve others, root out sin, and handle difficult situations with wisdom.

Friend, you are complete and equipped for God's work by knowing and doing what His Word says (James 1:22). Let's read it and live it!

Prayer: Dear God, thank You that the Bible gives me everything I need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). I want a heart that craves Your Word, a commitment to do what it says, and the bravery to share its Truth with others. I want to love You by obeying Your commandments and confidently sharing the gospel (John 14:15). In Jesus' name, amen.

As we continue our current First 5 study, 40 Days Through the New Testament, we're reminded again and again that God keeps His promises and meets us right where we are — steadying our faith when life feels uncertain. But following Jesus doesn't mean the road is always easy. Often, obedience brings us face-to-face with doubt, resistance, and seasons that feel more refining than rewarding. That's where our upcoming study, Ezra & Nehemiah: Following God's Call Even When It's Costly, carries the story forward, helping us see how God uses those hard moments not as setbacks but as part of how He shapes our faith and grows our courage to obey. If God has been stirring something in you as you study the New Testament, you can learn more about the Ezra & Nehemiah study here and take a simple next step with Him.

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