Daily Bible Study: Don't Try, Do 06.03.10

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Today is Thursday June 3, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Ezra, chapters 6-7. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-june-3

Title: Bible Study: Don't Try, Do
As Christians we have made a covenant with God, an agreement, we agreed to live our lives for Christ, to love the Lord with all our heart, our soul, and our mind. In return. He agreed to never leave us nor forsake us and even though we will still face trials, He will be with us giving us the strength to move forward and get through them. I was listening to this young man talk with our Preacher about an upcoming youth conference, he told the Preacher I will try to do what you ask. The Preacher said don't try, do, if you say you will try you will not do. God has the same response to us when we say we will try to obey Him and live our lives for Him. If we say we will try then we really are not going to make much of an effort to do what we say, but if we say we will obey Him and live our lives for Him then we are going to make an effort to do what we say. Now, God knows that we can not change over night and He does not expect us to, but as long as we are willing to follow through and do what we say then He has no problem with that and will always be with us to give us the strength, will, and encouragement to follow through with our agreement.

Fourteen years had passed after the Jews laid the foundation of the Temple, but once God's Word and authority were recognized, it was time to get it done. “And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy. And offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses. ” - Ezra 6:14-18. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah reminded the Jews that they had a job to do. They just needed a revival, a little encouragement to remind them that God was still with them. What caused this revival? Their circumstances had not changed, they has the same intense opposition and determination by the enemy to cause the work to cease, but this time, they were strengthened by the power of God and His Word. There is nothing more comforting, eye opening, and encouraging than the Bible. Through it we learn of God's grace, commitment, and convictions with His people. He reveals a little bit at a time to us so we can not only live a prosperous life, but one with a great relationship with God.

God's work can only be sustained and strengthened through obedience to His Word, which is the foundation of our Christian lives, one power that Satan cannot overcome. God's Word is the source of strength by which His children cannot be defeated. Ezra was born during the Babylonian captivity. He was a descendant of Aaron, Israel's first high priest. He was sent to Jerusalem to bring spiritual leadership to the people. “This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him...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....And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not. And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment. Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem:” - Ezra 7:6,9-11,25-27. The key to Ezra's great effectiveness in accomplishing the will of God is that he prepared His heart to seek the law of the Lord, in other words, he studied God's Word and did it. Ezra was committed to seeking, doing, and teaching God's Word. This should be a reminder that, if we want God to bless our lives, we too must prepare our hearts to seek the truth in God's Word and do what He commands.

Everyone reading this is at different levels of their Christianity, some may not know Christ yet, but are as we speak, some are newly converted, some have been for years, but have gotten away from God, some have not been taught the Word of God at all, and some are mature Christians, but we are all special, chosen by God Himself and accepted through our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. All who have accepted Christ are now the Temple of God in which He dwells in. Every Christian represents Christ and those who truly seek Him with all their heart will not try to, but do make an effort to fulfill their agreement to commit to Christ. Jesus has the power and does change the life of anyone willing to fulfill their commitment to love the Lord, with all their heart, soul, and mind. Unless we read God's Word and study it for ourselves we will never know what God asks from us nor will we do it. “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ....But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; ” - I Peter 2:2-5,9. Every chapter, every verse, and every word in the Bible is there to help us learn, to grow, and to know His commands. If we truly want Jesus to be Lord of our lives and want to see the blessings flow through the trials we face, we must not try to, but do make an effort to fulfill our agreement with God. Jesus is the light through the darkest path, He is God's Word and all who seek Him will be blessed. Praise God!

Enjoy the rest of your day/night week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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