“Now Ezra had determined in his heart to study the law of the Lord, obey it, and teach its statutes and ordinances to Israel.” (Ezra 7:10)
Ezra was someone who spent his life copying scripture; he was a scribe by trade. He lived in a time in Israel’s history when the people needed hope and encouragement. They had been exiled from their homes by world powers and upon their return became discouraged by the daunting tasks of rebuilding all that had been lost.
Ezra wasn’t anyone particularly important and certainly not a person in a position of great power in his time.
He was an ordinary man who not only copied the very Word of God but he purposed in his heart to study it, then to put it into practice in his life and walk in obedience, and finally, he committed himself to teaching others within his sphere of influence. He changed his world in his time because he encouraged others with the Word of God!
In our world with so many dark influences and discouraging voices…with so much news that compels us to believe there is no hope, what are we to do?
What if we followed Ezra’s example and immersed ourselves in the Word of God, purposed in our hearts and minds to obey it, and then shared those transformative truths with others in our lives? We could change the world!
You may not have an enormous sphere of influence, but that makes no difference. You are uniquely placed at this point in history in the place in which you live so that you can impact others with the good news that Jesus is the Savior of the world! All the Lord asks of each of us is to walk in obedience to Him and trust Him to do the work in and through us!
Some say, “Your life is the only Bible some will ever read.” If that might be the case at times, isn’t it a tremendous responsibility of mine to read, meditate, memorize, and live out the Word of God?!?!
I need the Word every day to communicate with the Lord and to grow to know my Savior better. I also pray that as I walk in obedience to Him that others would see Christ in me and desire to seek and serve Him as Lord.
Where to begin if you don’t know how to study the Bible? This short series is an excellent springboard if you need help! It is free and there is even a downloadable guide ready and waiting for you!
“So I took courage because I was strengthened by Yahweh my God, and I gathered Israelite leaders to return with me.” Ezra 7:28 I don’t know about you, but I desperately need the courage of God infused into my soul and the strength of the Lord to get me through my days. I’m surrounded by others who need to see someone in their life walking in the victory of God so that they have someone to follow; someone to encourage them!
Lord, find me faithful!
(Photo of my little mama’s hands. She was a quiet servant of the Lord who had tremendous impact because she loved His Word and lived it out. Thanks, Mama, for the legacy.)
-Inspiration for this post came from Michael Gabbert’s message at Evergreen Baptist Church, Bixby Oklahoma on 10/29/2023. The sermon can be found on their you tube channel-