Tag: sermon

Ezr 7:10
For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.        KJV

Every time I come across this verse of Scripture, I am moved with fear and a new determination.

Have I prepared my heart? Do I seek the law of the Lord? Am I doing what He requires of me? Am I teaching that which He desires for His people?

These are challenging questions for me.

The most critical part of this verse is the third thing Ezra wanted to do: to do it. He wanted to DO the law of the Lord.

It is one thing to do a sermon. It is quite another to BE one.

When people look at me, I want them to not only see Jesus. I want them to also see how the Lord wants them to live.

Is my life–every aspect of my life–a model of what it means to follow the Lord with my whole heart?

When someone sees me in the grocery store, are they able to see how Jesus would handle the long line, or the incompetent clerk, or the screaming child?

Often times the answer is no.

But, God is merciful. He brings this passage once again to my awareness, and challenges me to prepare my heart more thoroughly, to be more diligent in my personal application of His truth to my life.

Then–and only then–will I have something meaningful to share with those who look to me for guidance on the path in this life.