I'm Following Jesus – Page 2406 – Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Monday, September 25, 2017
Chapters: Ezra 7-10
Message: I Am What I Am By Grace

Hello My Friend,

I find myself at a loss these past few weeks, between moving, work, serving God, and my family things have been a little overwhelming and I find myself speaking out of context, and even saying things that would have been best if I had just given it over to God. You know, God tells us how He wants us to live and since everyone has their own opinion on what they believe that is, we are going to clash sometimes, even as Christians, but I know what God wants for my life. I may not always know who, but I know He would never put me in a position where I would be forced to go against His Word. He would not put any of us in a position like that, but since we have this flesh, that sometimes does what it wants to do over God, we may not always make the right decisions. And that is why we have God’s grace, when the things we do fail, even if we have not sinned, God’s grace puts us back in the right direction. “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” – I Corinthians 15:10.

Ezra is a descendant of Aaron, he was also a scribe, a writer in the Law of Moses. Ezra not only made sure that everything written in the Word of God was accurate, he also penned several books under the inspiration of God, including the Chronicle books. Ezra was not only a big help to God as a writer of His Word, he also became the inspirational leader of the group of Jews that returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. The next four chapters gives us a little insight into the state of the people in how they dealt with matters concerning God.

“For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. 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. Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel. Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time. I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee. Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?” – Ezra 7:9-13,23.

“and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” Part of teaching God’s Word is that we live it as well, we cannot be the example of Christ that the world needs to see if we are not practicing what we are preaching. It all starts by preparing our heart to seek His Word, but it is not enough to know what His words say, we must live them too. “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” – James 2:18.

Ezra recalls his time in Babylon, having received the call from the king to assemble a group of people willing to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and city. Ezra was a little overwhelmed about the job God had given him to do, but he knew God was with Him and would guide him in the right direction. Over seventeen hundred men volunteered to go to Jerusalem, before going any further the entire team fasted and prayed to God.

“And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God. Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us. Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them, And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the LORD; the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the LORD God of your fathers. Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chief of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD.” – Ezra 8:17,21-24,28-29.

“to seek of him a right way for us,” The best thing we can ever do to find God’s will for our lives is by fasting and prayer. We make decision upon decision in our own reasoning and all we end up doing is going around in circles. Every decision we make we need to do it with God’s direction, if we have to afflict ourselves to get Him to tell us where we need to be, then that is what we need to do. It is better to be a little hungry waiting for God to answer us than to be full making the decision on our own, having to spend extra time getting back on track. “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” – Philippians 4:12-13.

“I can do all things through Christ” Boy, that is an understatement! In our own flesh we are going to continue to made decisions based on our flesh, even being saved, they may not even be sinful, but they do cause us to get caught up in things that bring more affliction. When Ezra and the people arrived in Jerusalem they expected to see at least a few of the Jews worshiping, praising God, and giving them some hope that God was there. Instead, it was just the opposite, the moral and spiritual condition in Jerusalem was terrible and it grieved Ezra to the point that he fell on his knees, and began to pray for God to forgive them all.

“Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice. And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God, And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens. And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this; Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.” – Ezra 9:4-6,13-15.

“our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve,” Every time I face affliction for some bad decision I made I get the same way, crying to God in shame, wondering why I did not get what I really deserved. We do not always make the right decisions, which is why we get afflicted, it does not even have to be that we committed any sin, not listening to Him to begin with is what brings shame. That is what God’s grace is for, when we are at the end of our ropes, and have no idea what we are going to do next, God’s grace calms us and reminds us that God is on our side. “Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.” – II Corinthians 8:7.

As the congregation heard Ezra praying they too began to pray and repent of their sins, but now, came the hard part. Would they follow the Law as they said they would? One by one, each Levite agreed to present himself with his wife and children before the court to determine whether or not they served God, they were to get a divorce and separate from them forever if it was determined that they were not.

“And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it. Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware. Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.” – Ezra 10:2-6.

“yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.” Making bad decisions about who we yoke together with can cause us to go in a direction that is far from God, they may not have even been living in sin, but they were in a mixed marriage, two different faiths, and that always brings problems. That is why Christians cannot be married or even dating other Christians that are not likeminded in their faith, it brings too much affliction as one sees things differently as the other. You know, our flesh longs for affection, it wants to be accepted and feel comforted, especially when being afflicted, we all think that we can get the other person to see what we see, that even though they are set in their ways we can break them. We cannot break anyone, neither can God, for us or anyone else to change we need to be willing to change, and since we are all set in our ways that makes it a challenge. Jesus can change anyone, but we must be willing, we must prepare our heart, and by His grace He will begin the work of restoring us. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” – I Peter 5:8-10.

Jesus Christ Magnified: “And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God,” – Ezra 9:5.

Today’s Prayer: God, You know there have been times in my life when I sunk so deep in my past that I couldn’t breathe anymore, but Your hand always pulled me back up. Thank You for loving me and not forsaking me, thank You for holding me up, even when I wanted to fall. Thank You for Your endless mercy and grace, it truly endures, and thank You for always being there for me, even when I wanted to give up. Lord, I need You to get through each day, pour Your Spirit upon me and fill me with Your love, mercy, grace, peace, strength, and wisdom. Help me to get through this day, uplifted and encouraged, knowing that You are always with me, and have something great in store for me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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