Ezra 7:10 – “For Ezra set his heart to study the law of Yahweh and to practice it, and to teach His statute and judgment to Israel.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, the Holy Spirit brought something to my attention that resonates powerfully.

Although Ezra was a priest, this applies to everyone.  Notice his objective and the systematic progression.  He set his heart, made up his mind, and committed to this purpose.   He set aside designated time for the Word.   He was on a mission of discovery.   He was conducting a mining operation.  He was searching for answers.

He wanted to know in order to practice the truth he discovered.  Then, his desire and purpose were to teach that to others, disciplining them.

The words of Jesus exploded in my head and heart.  “If you abide in Me and My words abide in you…”   Out of that saturation with the Word, the Holy Spirit makes it alive and empowers!   Remember that on the day of Pentecost, they became spiritual dynamos!  Think about who they were.   The Jews who were saturated with the Word but not the power.   Once the energeia of the Holy Spirit saturated them, that Word implanted in them germinated and exploded with life and power.

Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” It’s not just truth but truth, you know.  Truth given life by the Holy Spirit.   Remember that no scripture is of private interpretation.  We must interpret the Bible in light of every verse within it.   Do we know and have instant recall of every verse?   Of course not.  That is why we must continually study and eat and drink the Word of God.  We give the Holy Spirit ammunition and seed to produce an ever-expanding harvest in us.

Let’s set our hearts to study the Word, then practice what we learn, and in life and words teach others.  The Living God has given us His Living Word to make us alive!  Armed with the Word, no enemy or obstacle can stand.  Study is not plucking an isolated verse from a promise box; it is an investment of time, heart, and mind.  The reward is beyond imagination.

Lord, help each of us to ‘Set Our Hearts’ on You!

Romans 4:3  – ^“For what does the scripture say?  “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

The story of Abraham and Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage is fascinating.  In Exodus 12:7, we have God’s directive, “Take some of the blood (of the slain lamb) and put it on the two door posts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it (the sacrificial lamb).”

The blood marked them and kept them.   They had to have Faith in God and His promises.   They had to act on that Faith in obedience.   Paul recounted Abraham’s faith journey in Romans 4 and, in verse 3, declares, “Abraham believed God.”   It began in Faith, and the result of His believing his faith-filled obedience was viewed by God as righteousness.   Faith acts in loving obedience and is motivated to do what is right while shunning evil.

Romans 4:13-25 provides an incredible revelation.  God’s promise was to give Sarah a son.  Their bodies had become reproductively non-functional.  Abraham contemplated that.  He realized the impossibility of the Promise.  In the natural, it was impossible.   Then verse 20, “YET, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God.”

That is incredible!   He knew that the promise was naturally impossible.  YET… Yet?  He weighed his physical incapability against God’s capability and chose God’s promise over his own ability.   Faith!

Romans 4:21 – “And being FULLY ASSURED that what God has promised, He (God) was able to also do.”   In verse 20, we are reminded that he GREW STRONG IN FAITH.  How?  He contemplated his and Sarah’s bodies’ non-functionality and God’s inability to fail.  He kept reminding himself of who God was and trusted Him totally.

It is this kind of trusting, obedient faith that Paul is referring to in Romans 5:1 – “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…” Then in verse 2, “through whom (Jesus), also we obtained our introduction by Faith into this Grace in which we stand…”

In Romans 6, we see the power of this faith.   In verse 2, Paul asks, “How shall we who died (by faith) to sin still live in it?”   Faith produces a change on the inside, which is reflected in a changed life!

In verses 4-11, we see the evidence and results of this newness by faith.  Faith and total surrendered obedience in submission produce a life of demonstrated righteousness that introduces us to this storehouse of grace!

Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

It begins and ends with the blood of the Lamb by faith that brings us grace!   If we have died to ourselves by surrendering to Him, we live free from sin’s power to control.   If we truly see Him and what He offers, sin has no power, and as we contemplate the contrast between our ability and His, we know the truth that liberates and empowers us to live free!

Jesus offers freedom.  Faith is the key, and grace is the vehicle to get us there!  You are free, so live free!

LORD, help us to have Faith, not faith in faith, but faith in You!

Matthew 17:4-8 – “Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. 7 And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.”  8 And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.”  NASU

I realize that is not exactly how this is phrased, but the meaning is clear.  In his exuberance and ecstasy at the moment, Peter was blabbering about what they could and should do.  His ramblings and exhortations were heard in the Throne Room of Heaven, and it is clear that the Father was not particularly overjoyed with Peter at the moment, so He spoke from heaven and said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”  

Before you protest, notice that He said of Jesus, ‘with whom I am well-pleased,’ and that is in contrast to Peter’s ravings.  He also said, “LISTEN TO HIM!”  In East Texas vernacular – “Hush up and listen!”  So, to me, it is clear that the Father was essentially telling Peter and the other disciples, “Shut Up and Listen!”

You have heard it said, “God gave us two ears and one mouth, so we should listen twice as much as we speak.”  There is a great deal of truth in that adage, and one that we would do well to adopt in our lives.  Most of us, too frequently, want to be heard rather than hear!  We have our revelation and want others to hear it.  We believe that our importance and need for significance must be validated, and we feel that we must be heard, so we speak. 

I have been in many conversations where the other person was anticipating their opportunity to speak, so they failed to hear what was being said as they planned their response.  That negates effective communication and opens the door for misunderstanding and misinterpretation.   Here God is telling Peter and the others – “Hearing what Jesus has to say is far superior to anything that you might say or think at the moment, so LISTEN!”

It would behoove all of us to be calculated in our speaking and careful in our listening.  I believe that to communicate truth effectively, we have to be willing and adept at listening.  It is essential to HEAR what is being said, not what we think about what is being said.  There can be and often is a world of difference between the two. 

It reminds me of the saying that I heard once in a conference on communication, where the person speaking said, “I know you believe you think you understand what you thought you heard me say, but I am not sure you realize that what you thought you heard is not what I said or meant.” 

Do you see where there could be a problem if we assume or presume that we know what is being said without actually HEARING what is being said?  That is so true with the Word and things of God – We need to HEAR GOD, not what we thought or wanted Him to say!

Therefore, learn that sometimes you need to just ‘be silent’ and ‘still’ and LISTEN.  The Holy Spirit will effectively communicate God’s Word, Will, and Way to your heart if you LISTEN!

God bless you as you go through your day! 

Addendum:

I know that God doesn’t speak to you, saying, ‘shut up and listen,’ but He has to me before, and when I asked why, He told me to put on my big boy britches and listen.  I protested more, and He asked, “Did I get your attention?”  I said, “Yes, sir.”  To which He responded, “Do I need to explain more?”  God does not speak to me in King James English, use flowery language, or sound like He is a professor at Oxford, Yale, Harvard, or Cambridge.  He speaks to my heart in the language I speak.  Just as the Holy Spirit did not divest the writers of the Inspired Scriptures of their own personalities, God speaks to us in a uniquely personalized way.  He knows what will get your attention and speaks thusly—I just wanted to add that!

Mark 4:40 – “And he said to them, “Why are you cowardly?  Do you still not have faith?”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, the word “unexpected” flooded my consciousness.  Unexpected?  I found that fascinating since, for a very long time, I’ve been drawn to the thought of ‘Expectation.’

In Mark 6, after the feeding of the 5000, the disciples, while obeying Jesus, found themselves in the midst of a storm.

Jesus was not in the boat but could see them.  He sees everything!   They were straining at the oars.  That is an interesting revelation.  Their carnal mindset causes them to try to rectify the problem and row through it in their own power and ability.  Had they not rowed, they would have perished.  Was rowing the best they could have done?  No, but in their condition, it was essential.  They had another option but could not see it, so unless and until we see that option, it is essential to strain at the oars!

He came to them at their most desperate moment.  He came to them at an Unexpected time and in an Unexpected way.  We develop our authorized ways and timing for God to operate in, and He often surprises us with the Unexpected!

I guess we could say we should expect the unexpected!  But if it is unexpected, how do we expect it?   Their other option was the same as the earlier event, with boats and storms, as described in Mark 4.   Jesus exercised faith and spoke to the storm.   He asked them in verse 40, “Why are you so cowardly?  Why are you overflowing with fear?  Why is your confidence in anything other than God?”

Our struggles do not mean God’s disfavor!   Struggles are opportunities to see God’s power!  It sometimes takes storms to help us grow in faith and demonstrate trust!  Each time, we grow stronger and more confident in His promise.

Therefore, in life’s Unexpected times, Expect Him to do the unexpected in an unexpected way and at an unexpected time.  The bottom line is Trust Him!   In the middle of a storm, be assured that He is aware of it, and He will come!  He does not fail.

LORD, help us to Expect Your Answer even in the Unexpected!