The reading for day 34 was 2Chronicles 36:2 - Ezra 10:44.

The most interesting chapters to me were Ezra Chapters 9 and 10. Ezra hears that the Israelites have sinned by taking foreign women for wives. His response is in verses 3 and 4 of chapter 9, "When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled. The everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice." What would happen in our churches today if we responded to sin the same way Ezra did? What would happen if we actually held a high view of the holiness of God and trembled at His word?

I think that Ezra's prayer of confession in verses 6-15 of chapter 9 should be a model prayer for corporate confession in our churches today. Ezra's confession leads the other people there with him to confess their sin before God along with him. In chapter 10 the confession leads to repentance. How often do we confess our sins and just leave it at that? How often do we actually turn away from the sins we confess? Oh that God would create in us hearts that hate sin in our lives and the life of the church as much as God does. Does anyone know what that would be like? I don't, but praise God for His mercy on sinful man.