A Practical Flow!

There are some people who talk about things they really don’t know much about, but speak as if they were the expert. There are also those who seem ready to expect of others what they themselves are not attempting to carry out in their own life. Then there are individuals who do a lot of digging for information, but seem to have difficulty applying it to practical living. Reading through Ezra yesterday I was struck by the wisdom in which all of this ought to be logically and practically approached.

We read. . .
“For Ezra had SET HIS HEART TO STUDY the Law of the LORD, and TO DO IT and TO TEACH his statutes and rules in Israel.” ( Ezra 7:10 ESV)

First Ezra had PREPARED HIS HEART to be receptive to God’s commands. If this does not precede OUR STUDY, we may merely become like those Paul accused of “always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.” ( 2 Timothy 3:7) Then, when we HAVE STUDIED, we reveal our understanding of God’s Will by PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE in our daily life. Otherwise we are simply like one who looks at what our life is to be like, and then walks away forgetting what we are like. (note James 1:23-25) Having put God’s truths into practice in our life, we will then know best how TO SHARE those practical life principles with others and those who see us practicing them will be more open to that sharing. Who wants to be told how to live by someone who isn’t revealing how it actually works?

Do not these four steps -- a PREPARED HEART, the STUDYING of God’s Word, putting it into PRACTICE, and then TEACHING it to others -- appear to be a logical flow through which God’s Will can more successfully be translated from our heart to touch the hearts and lives of others? As with us, a lot depends on the heart condition of others as well. However, by beginning with our own heart open toward God, the genuineness of our seeking to do His Will and the testimony to its wisdom our life reveals through living it out, others stand a better chance of accepting its great relevancy still today. Should it be any surprise Ezra was such a great leader in drawing others back toward faithfulness to God? May our life be similarly fruitful to the glory of God.

Have a great day BEING A LIVING CONDUIT OF GOD’S WISDOM!
Carl

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