Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. Ezra 10:6
The Israelites who had gone back to rebuild the temple, had turned away from God’s laws and began to marry those of the foreign nations. Ezra was disturbed by their actions and wept before God for their unfaithfulness. He, himself, had not done anything wrong, but was weeping over the fact that the people had been unfaithful to God and did what was forbidden.
It is easy for a person to see the sins of other people. Christians are always talking about the sins of the nation they live in or the other people in their church. They, then, want to enact laws to change the ability to sin. Or they complain about what other people are doing or are allowed to do.
Ezra did not complain about the sins of the people, but wept and fasted over them before God. He admitted the guilt of himself and the people to God. Ezra was not guilty of the things that the other people were guilty of, yet he was willing to mourn before God about the sins being committed.
Jesus wept over Jerusalem as He looked at their sins that the followers of God were committing against God. He did not just condemn them and point out sins. He allowed God to work in their lives by His Holy Spirit, while doing everything that He could do.
As a believer, you can point out God’s word to other people and strive to point them in the right direction, but you cannot change their hearts. Only God can change a person’s heart and draw them back to Himself.
When you see the sins that other believers are committing, how are you reacting?
Do you condemn them and gossip to others about their sins?
Or do you go before God with weeping and fasting for those who have walked away from God into sin?
I pray that God will soften your heart for those who have walked away from God; that you will seek God to touch the lives of fallen believers; that you will remain faithful to God; and that God will use you to draw others back to Him.
Wow, what a great post! So very true. We can become self-righteous in diagnosing all of the sins around us but forget we are among that number, ourselves, apart from the grace of God. I am learning afresh to pray for those who persecute and gossip about me. It is very freeing. Thanks for the reminder!
Thanks. I am always learning to pray. Seems I learn one lesson while forgetting another.
LOL. Me, too!