Ezra is an Old Testament prophet from the glory days of Israel.
His name traditionally means “flowers that appear on the earth,” signifying the rising power of the nascent nation. He is credited with writing the book of Chronicles and by some sources could be the writer of the book of Malachi.
The book of Ezra tells of Ezra’s leadership in guiding a group of Judean exiles back to Jerusalem during the time of Cyrus and his call to uphold the Law as presented in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible).
Ezra 8:22b gives 2 strong admonitions for the people:
“The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.”
Ezra’s 1st Admonition:
“The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him.”
This is our call to depend on God for our needs. Cry unto him. Search out his nature in the words of the Bible. Place our trust in him.
When we do, God’s hand will cover us, and his blessings will be ours.
Ezra’s 2nd Admonition:
“The power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.”
We stand on a precipice when we say, “There is no God.”
When we take our families, our finances, and our morals into our hands and say, “We can decide for ourselves,” we tumble right off, and our end is destruction.
Ezra gives us a choice.
1. Follow God. Seek salvation, study the Word, and emulate Jesus in all that we do.
2. Go our own way and see our lives pummeled by the worst that life can throw our way.
Ezra has laid out our options. The choice is ours.
Choosing Jesus is the only path in life that makes sense. Let’s pick him today.
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