King James Bible Study Daily Devotional


 

Message Title: The Fear of God
Date: Saturday June 04, 2011
Chapters: Ezra 8-9
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-june-4
Details of Today's Chapters: A list of Ezra’s companions and his visit to Jerusalem, the treasure is placed in the Temple, the remnant mix in with the worldly people, and Ezra’s prayer and confession to god for the remnant.

Hello My Friend/Guest,

“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God... For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” - II Corinthians 7:1,10-11.

Sometimes we go through things and ask God, “What did I do now?”While we can all improve on something in our lives, the afflictions, chastisements, and trials we face are not to condemn us, but remind us that God is still around and perhaps we have lost our fear of God somewhere and it's time to find it. Fearing God does not mean that we are to live in constant fear of Him, it means to have respect for God, to acknowledge Him in all that we do, and to live by the morals He teaches us. If you are saved, you are a child of God, that means we are to cleanse ourselves from all the immoral things we do with our minds and bodies, which in turn gives us a clean spirit and the fear of God.

Ezra recalls his time in Babylon, having received the commission from the king to assemble a group of people willing to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple and city. Ezra was a little apprehensive about the job God had given him to do and who would be willing to come with him, but he put his faith and trust in God. Over seventeen hundred men volunteered to go to Jerusalem, before going any further the entire team fasted and prayed to God.

“And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi...And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;.. Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance...So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.” - Ezra 8:15,18,21,23.

When things get so overwhelming and we have big decisions to make it is time to fast and pray, the bigger the decision, the longer the fasting and praying probably needs to be, Moses and Jesus fasted and prayed for forty days. While most cases fasting is defined as abstaining from food, there are different means of fasting. Fasting is abstaining from anything that gives us pleasure and during the time in which we would be doing that we would spend time in prayer to God. Jesus describes fasting this way, “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.“ - Matthew 6:16-18.

After they received their answers from God, by faith Ezra, the volunteers, their families. Along with all they could carry headed to Jerusalem. “Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way. And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days...Also the children of those that had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity, offered burnt offerings unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he goats for a sin offering: all this was a burnt offering unto the LORD.” - Ezra 8:31,32,35.

Ezra encouraged the people that God would protect and provide for them on their journey and He did, they arrived safely to Jerusalem four months later. God is always with His people and will protect us, whether we are doing His work at home or two thousand miles away, He never leaves nor forsakes us. It may feel as though He is not with us at times, but that I when He is doing the most work in us. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them...Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:“ - Ephesians 2:10,19-21.

When Ezra and the people arrived in Jerusalem they expected to see at least a few people worshiping, praising God, and giving them some hope that God was in their lives. However, it was just the opposite, the moral and spiritual condition in Jerusalem was terrible and it grieved Ezra to the point that he fell on his knees, spread out his hands to the Lord, and began begging God for to forgive the people.

“For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass. And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied. Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice...O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.” - Ezra 9:2-4,15.

Christians are to set examples of a moral and uncorrupted life to show the world how great it would be to have God in it. However, when they live as the world all the says to them is, “So, it's God, big deal, nothing changes if we know God, so why bother.” Those who live in sin, are lost or have been away from Christ so long that they have forgotten that they too are forgiven. They truly have no idea what they are doing and need our prayers and forgiveness just as much as everyone else. When Jesus was on the cross and the people were crucifying Him He said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” - Luke 23:34.

We are all under the loving care of the hand of our heavenly Father and nothing can touch us except with His permission. Since this is true, outbursts of fright, unforgiving, complaint, or anger over our circumstances are evidences of our failure to recognize the presence and power of God. When we learn to fear God all we can be at peace. “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” - Hebrews 13:20,21.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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