SEEKING GOD'S WAY

“Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions" (Ezra 8:210 NKJV).

In leading a group of Israelites from Persia back to Jerusalem, Ezra stops to seek the Lord for His way in their lives and possessions. Our verse reveals that he sought the Lord earnestly, personally, parentally, and materially.

Earnestly – “I proclaimed a fast.” A short time after the group began their trip back to Israel, Ezra stopped and proclaimed a fast so they could seek God’s way for their lives. The fasting indicated that they were very earnest to know God’s way and will. We will never learn much about God’s will and way if we are not earnest. Those who complain that they do not know God’s will must blame themselves for not being earnest enough about learning it.

Personally – “Then I . . . that we… for us.” Ezra wanted all to know the way of God, and he does not exclude himself. Before we can teach others, we first must be taught; before we can tell others the way, we must first know the way. In our desire to others spiritually, we should not neglect our own spiritual life.

Parentally – “For us and our little ones.” As parents and adults have a God-given responsibility to lead our children in God’s way. The devil wants to guide the training of the children, and too many parents are letting him do it through the schools and day-care centers. This explains why there is so much opposition to parental guidance and discipline in our day. God has given children to parents to raise. Children are our responsibility. We need to train them children spiritually!

Materially – “And all our possessions.” Ezra also wanted to know the way and will of God for their material possessions. How important it is to use our material possessions properly. Many use their possessions for selfish purposes and do not seek God’s will in its use. We need to seek God earnestly about the use of all our material possessions.

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“To walk with God, we must make it a practice to talk with God!”

Anonymous

Word Study

Division

In Heb. 4:12 we read, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (NKJV).

Division is the Greek word merismos (μερισμός = mer-is-mos'). It means distribution, division, separation and refers to the act of dividing the whole into parts. The thought here is that the Word of God is comprehensive in its effects because it penetrates more than just the physical body. It reaches into all the various parts and functions of the individual and makes judgments.

The emphasis therefore is not so much upon the separation of one part from another, but upon the penetration of all the individual parts, even down to the innermost secrets and purposes which are hidden in the core of an individual’s consciousness, away from the eyes of other people. Nothing remains untouched by Scripture, for it addresses every aspect of man’s life. Whereas man’s thoughts remain hidden from his neighbor’s probing eye, God’s Word uncovers them.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah would heal the blind, deaf, lame, dumb (Isa. 35:5-6; 29:18).

New Testament Fulfillment – Matt. 11:5.

Bible Facts

The Bible states that laughter promotes physical healing (Prov. 17:22). Recent studies confirm what King Solomon was inspired to write 3,000 years ago, “A merry heart does good, like medicine.” For instance, laughter reduces levels of certain stress hormones. This brings balance to the immune system, which helps the body fight off disease.

Bible Quiz

Who was responsible for raising Esther after her parents had died?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: According to Malachi, how were the Israelites robbing God? By withholding “tithes and offerings” (Mal. 3:8).

That’s in the Bible

"Flesh pots of Egypt”

“And the children of Israel said unto them, would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger” (Exodus 16:3 KJV).

“Flesh pots of Egypt” - The expression “flesh pots of Egypt” refers to creature comforts that are missed. One of the most basic needs of man is the need for food. Trust in God and others is soon lost when hunger or any other serious trial confronts a person. But these things should never be. We should never complain nor fail to trust God - not because of hunger nor because of any other serious circumstance that might confront us. God loves and cares for us. And God has promised to take care of our needs in every circumstance, even in life-threatening circumstances.

Did You Know - Christian History

Arthur Tappan Pierson was born March 6, 1837 in New York City, NY. He was an American Presbyterian pastor, Christian leader, missionary and writer who preached over 13,000 sermons.

Pierson was converted to Christ at age 13 and was a graduate of Hamilton College and Union Theological Seminary. Throughout his career, Pierson filled several pulpit positions around the world as an urban pastor who cared passionately for the poor. Pierson wrote over fifty books covering a broad range of topics, including prophecy and his deepest concern, union with Christ. He gave Bible lectures as part of a transatlantic preaching ministry that made him famous in Scotland, England, and Korea. He was a consulting editor for the original Scofield Reference Bible, and was also a friend of D. L. Moody, George Müller, Adoniram Judson Gordon, and C. H. Spurgeon, whom he succeeded in the pulpit of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London, from 1891 to 1893.

Besides his contributions to missions, Pierson’s most notable influence was his commitment to orthodoxy. He joined other concerned Christian leaders in publishing “The Fundamentals,” a series of booklets designed to answer the critics of Christianity. In time, the booklets were combined into a twelve volume set which are still available today in a five volume set. Pierson has often been called the “Father of Fundamentalism.”

In one of his most significant books, In Christ Jesus, he concluded that the phrase “in Christ Jesus” a preposition followed by a proper name was the key to understanding the entire New Testament. After retiring, he continued to preach at churches and conferences at home and abroad. Pierson died in 1911.

A Little Humor

Pastor Bill had been disturbed by a person who read much too fast during responsive readings. On this particular Sunday he said, “We shall now read the Twenty-third Psalm – in unison.” He then paused. “Will the lady who is always ‘by still waters’ while the rest of us are ‘in green pastures,’ please wait a minute until we catch up?”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Only one road leads to heaven - Jesus Christ is the way!”