“Prepared” – Ezra 7:9-10
Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: It shall not return unto me void, But it shall accomplish that which I please, And it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
God can use anyone. He has chosen to work through vessels that are yielded to Him.
With Ezra’s life serving as a great example of a life lived in, by, and for the Word, we see how our approach to the Bible can not only lead to “the good hand of God” in our lives but also how we can prepare to live a life that is lived for God.
I. Faithful In .
Ezra 7:6a This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses.
A “scribe” in this time was someone who was a leader of the Jewish people while they were living as exiles in Babylon.
Exodus 15:2 The Lord is my strength and song, And he is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; My father’s God, and I will exalt him.
A surrendered heart to God will dream big dreams, and those dreams will come from the heart of God, not from your own heart.
Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in the Lord; And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
II. Filled With .
Ezra 7:23 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?
2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
III. Fixed To .
There are many strategies in life and leadership, although nothing replaces a sincere heart before the Lord and a willingness to humbly follow him.
1 Corinthians 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
The best way to become prepared for God’s work is to get in the Book, stay in the Book, and put to practice what you learn.
IV. Fruitful In .
1 Corinthians 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
1 Corinthians 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.
Acts 18:13 Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.
Acts 19:8 And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
Preparation for those who make the most of their lives for God becomes a way of life. We simply must be diligent in preparation, dependent on God’s provision, developed through practice, and directing with persuasion.