THE PREPARED HEART
Scripture Reading: Ezra 7:1-10
For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel. (Ezra 7:10)
Ezra was a priest of Israel. He was part of the first group which returned from captivity under the leadership of Zerubbabel. Most of those who returned had been born in captivity.
In captivity, their faith in God was severely challenged with many abandoning their faith. It is in this context that we find the testimony of Ezra, most exemplary. He had kept the faith and was used by the Lord to revive the spiritual life of the people.
In this verse, the scriptures give us the reason why Ezra had maintained his spiritual walk with God. The passage says that Ezra prepared his heart. He devoted time to the preparation of his heart for the assignment that God had for him and his nation.
Ezra prepared his heart to do three things:
- To SEEK the Law of the Lord. Ezra kept the written word of God close to him and spent time studying it. In an environment where the pagan rulers could punish a Jew for praying to God, he set his heart to study God’s word. Ezra developed this habit while in exile. What have you prepared your heart to seek?
- To DO the Law of the Lord. Ezra did not study the word of God just for the knowledge it gave him. He learnt from the word of God to apply it to his own life. He was careful to plant the word as a seed in his heart so that it would bear fruit in his actions. Have you prepared your heart to do what you know to be the truth of God’s word?
- To TEACH the Law of the Lord. Ezra prepared himself to be a teacher of God’s word. He prepared himself to be an influencer of his people. Because Ezra was a doer of the Law of God, he could teach it to others. He wasn’t one who learnt one thing, did something else and taught another thing altogether. Have you prepared heart to be an influencer of your generation?
For us to be used by God, we have to prepare our heart to learn, live and lead through the knowledge of God’s word.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me prepare my heart to know You and do Your will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
