Ezra

by

Nehemiah 8:6 Humble Worship

And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Nehemiah 8:6

Being humble is something that is difficult for most people. The world tells everyone to hold their head up high and be proud of who they are. Then the world strives to be the god of their life and of others. People want to be the one that is in control and is the one that is worshipped and adored by others.

As Ezra blessed God the people agreed and bowed down with their faces to the ground to worship God.

Everywhere one looks it is always about self, how one looks, what one has, who one knows and other things about self. The individual is the most important and one is to look out for self. In the eyes of the world there is no right or wrong, but it is all about what self wants and desires. Pride is the number one feeling to have.

God is against pride because it is about self, removing Him and others from the equation. However, without God there is nothing. If God had not created everything, there would be nothing and man would not exist.

It is God who gives life. It is God who forgives. It is God who gives meaning to life. It is God who gives meaning during suffering. It is God who gives strength and abilities.

Instead of being filled with pride, believers are to be humble before God. They are to look down to the ground recognizing that they are nothing without the work of Jesus in their lives and humbly worship God from their hearts knowing it is all about God.

You may have done some great things in your life but remember that it was God who gave you the ability to do those things. Do not allow pride to build up and place yourself upon the throne.

Humble yourself and bow down to worship God, the creator of the heavens and the earth, the giver of life, the One who forgives, the One in control. Allow God to be high and lifted up to be worshipped by all beginning with yourself. Let your entire life be completely all about God and what He has and is doing.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will recognize who God is; that you will humble yourself before God; that you will worship God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength; and that you will not allow self pride get in the way of loving, serving and worshipping God first.

by

Ezra 10:1 Weeping Bitterly Over Sin

While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites–men, women and children–gathered around him. They too wept bitterly. Ezra 10:1

Everyday there are people who are caught doing something wrong. Many of those caught are more upset that they got caught than they are at what they did wrong. Some will still feel that they did nothing wrong but had the right to do what they did even if it broke the rules or some law. Seldom is there true repentance or remorse for what was done.

Ezra was praying, confessing and weeping before God for the sins of the people. A large crowd of people gathered around were also weeping bitterly for their sins.

The world holds a fluid standard as to what is right or wrong. One time something is wrong, while the next time it is completely acceptable as good due to different circumstances or situations. There is no such thing as completely bad or wrong all the time regardless of the situation.

Believers are to hold to God’s standards of living no matter what the situation is. God holds one standard that does not change due to a changing situation. Anyone who does not live up to that standard is sinning against God.

Often many believers are just like the world, when they get got in sin, they regret getting caught, not regretting the sin. Afterwards they will then return to that sin, rather than fleeing that sin and following after God.

One with a heart after God’s will weep bitterly over his sin. He will understand how horrible his sin against God was and regret that he ever did the sin. He will fall on his hands and face before God seeking mercy and forgiveness, and God, in His great love, will give both mercy and forgiveness.

You will have times you will sin against God. Do not allow yourself to become like the world and only regret getting caught by others or by God. Do not become complacent with sin in your life but seek to have it completely removed.

Allow your heart to break before God because of any sin you have committed, whether great or small, and weep bitterly over that sin. God in His infinite love will have mercy upon you and forgive you, removing all sin.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will accept when God reveals sin your life; that you will weep bitterly over your sins against God; that you will seek God’s forgiveness of your sins; and that you will turn away from all sin against God.

by

Ezra 9:6 Ashamed Of Sin

and prayed: “I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens.” Ezra 9:6

Shame is often looked down on as a weak characteristic. People are often told to take pride in who they are, regardless of what they have done. Everything done is what makes a person who they are. If one is ashamed of what he has done, it is seen as weakness and a loss of pride. This especially applies to what others have done that are connected.

Ezra had heard of what sins the people were committing. He then bows down before God praying and tells God that he is too ashamed to look up to Him because of the sins of the people was too great.

The world does not have a rock solid foundation of standards in which they live by. What may be wrong today can be acceptable tomorrow, or the other way around. Right and wrong fluctuate on a regular basis. Without that foundation, there is no shame in what is done.

Everything is about self and the moment. Believers have a solid foundation in which they live by. It is a standard based upon God’s word and leads one to live in holiness and righteousness, not selfishness and sin.

When there is sin in one’s life, there comes a sorrow of shame at failing to live by God’s standards. Along with shame for one’s own sins, there is also shame for the sins of those around the believer.

Just as Jesus took on the sins of the whole world, believers will take on the sins of their family, city, state, or nation. They will seek God’s mercy and forgiveness for themselves and for others, which Jesus provides with His death and resurrection.

As a believer you are most likely ashamed of your own personal sins that you know about and repent before God for them. However, do you see the sins of those around you and your nation?

See the world as God does and weep at the sins being committed. Seek God’s mercy and forgiveness for those around you. Be willing to be a witness and let people know about God’s holy and perfect standards and His grace and mercy found in Jesus Christ.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will see the sins against God being committed around you; that you will weep for the world and seek God’s mercy and forgiveness; and that you will point people to God’s great love found in Jesus.

by

Ezra 8:21 Fasting To Be Humble When Asking

There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. Ezra 8:21

Asking for help is something that many people do not like to do. It often means that one is weaker and unable to accomplish something on his own and needs the strength and abilities of someone else. Admitting one needs help and then going about seeking help becomes one of the last things a person may do. A level of humility is required.

As Ezra was getting ready to lead the people back to Jerusalem, he proclaimed a fast to humble themselves before God and ask Him to protect them on the journey.

While the world looks at asking for help as a sign of weakness, believers must understand that everything they are is dependent upon asking for help. One is not saved until he seeks God’s help in being forgiven of his sins.

Even once saved, the power of pride often creeps into the hearts of believers causing them to not want to seek help from God or others. To help break that pride, believers can proclaim of time of fasting, going without something that they need so that they can humble themselves before God. Fasting is denying one’s prideful self and abilities to place God’s will in first place and in complete control. As one fasts, he can ask God for His will and favor.

During the fast, he is depending upon God for whatever is needed. It is no longer about self, but about God and His will and ways. The moment a believer takes self off of the throne in humility and places God on the throne, it allows God to do great and mighty things in his life.

No matter how strong or great you are, there are things that you cannot do without God’s help and strength. If God does not give you the abilities, you will fail.

Do not allow pride to rise up in you and cause you to walk without God’s direction. Humble yourself and deny yourself in a fast. Allow God to step in and meet every need you have in His own way. During the fast, allow God to be in complete control and watch Him meet needs in a supernatural way.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will humble yourself before God; that you will allow God to be in complete control of your life; that you will fast and deny yourself before God; and that you will see God do great things in your life and through you.

by

Ezra 7:10 Devoted To God’s Word

For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel. Ezra 7:10

It is common for people to be dedicated to something. Usually it is a job, a sports position or some talent that they enjoy doing on a regular basis. Whatever they are dedicated to, they will spend their focused time on learning it, and doing it to the best of their abilities, always trying to perfect it even better. Some of the things people are dedicated to have a lasting value, while most are of only a temporary value.

Ezra had God’s grace upon his life because he had devoted himself to study and obeying God’s Law and to teaching it to the people.

Being dedicated to something means one is willing to give up other things to focus upon that one thing. It causes one to keep from being distracted and going astray. In the end it brings about more perfection in the area being dedicated to.

The world is quick to be dedicated to things that have only a very short-term temporary value, if any good value at all. Often it is focused on self-pleasure and self-glory or promotion.

God has given believers His word, beginning with His law and ending with His mercy and grace. Through His word, one can learn everything there is needed to know about living on this earth and preparing to live in eternity in heaven. His word, the Bible, has a immediate and eternal value to it.

Every believer needs to be dedicated to knowing and obeying God’s word. No matter how many times one has read the bible and studied it, there are new things always to be learned and taught to others. It is living and active and one needs to be dedicated to it.

God has given the perfect manual to answer how you are to live life on this planet. It is His word. Throughout your life you will have many things to learn and do, but the most important thing to learn and do is found in God’s word. Jesus has forgiven you and saved you so that you will be able to live the holy life God has commanded you to live in His word.

Take time daily to devote yourself to studying God’s word and applying it to your life. It will bring you eternal life.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will be devoted to knowing and obeying God’s word; that you will teach others God’s word; and that you will know the eternal value in knowing God’s word.