Ezra 1:1
“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,”
The first year is one of the most important years because it establishes your pattern for years to come. The first year of a marriage sets the habits for the remainder of the marriage. A child’s first year is instrumental in building their character and habits for the rest of their life. A leader’s first year often dictates the degree of success and influence that leader will experience.
Cyrus, whether or not he realized the magnitude of his decision, made a decree in the first year of his reign to rebuild the house of God. This proclamation set in course the actions of those who followed him, and it let them know his desires and direction for the remainder of his reign. Five things can be learned from Cyrus’ decision that every person should establish in their first years.
In the first year, establish the basis of right and wrong. Cyrus established his decree by “the word of the LORD.” You must establish early on that you are going to base all your actions on the Word of God. You cannot allow opinion to become the basis of what you do. In a marriage, church, or a child’s life, the word of the LORD must be the foundation for every decision and determination of right and wrong.
In the first year, establish the right atmosphere. In the verse above, “…the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus…” Having the right atmosphere determines your influences. You must let God’s Word determine what type of atmosphere you will allow yourself to be around. Many have allowed the wrong atmosphere in their home, marriage, life or church, and it led to temptation, compromise and sin. Atmosphere dictates actions; you must be sure your atmosphere is right if you want to have the right actions.
In the first year establish right desires. Cyrus made a “proclamation,” which showed his desires and what he wanted to do. If you publicly make known your desires to do right from the beginning, you will ward off many of the wrong influences. I have seen many preachers in the early years of their pastorate not want to make public their desires of who they will associate with, only to see the buzzards of worldly preachers hover over these men to pull them into their flock. You would be wise to publicly proclaim in the first year who you are and what you want to do in your life, job, marriage, ministry and new endeavors if you want to deter those who would influence or lead you the wrong way.
Finally, in the first year, establish the right objectives. Ezra 5:13 says, “But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God.” Cyrus established that he wanted his reign to be marked by building. Set your objective early in your life that you will be a builder and a finisher. Don’t waltz your way through life. Finish every day by asking yourself, “What have I finished or accomplished today?”
Establishing these five areas early will set the pattern for your life. Do them, and you will find the LORD can do great things through you your entire life.