Power of your choice

Ezra 7:10  For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.

A lot of our spiritual life depends on what we decide to do with the opportunities that are given to us. Ezra set his heart to study the law and to do it and to teach it. These words remind us two things.

1) There is a power of our choice - God honors and aids our good desires of our heart. We'll meditate more on this in the devotional today.

2) The way to be a disciple is to first, set your heart, then to study, then to do, and finally to teach! How often do we fail in honoring this biblical order ? In Acts 1:1, the holy spirit mentions that this was indeed the order followed by our Lord. He did and then He taught. If we reverse the order, there is no life in our teaching, because we haven't yet been obedient to the word that we're ministering!

Coming back to the power of our choice.

To stay pure

In Daniel 1:8, we see the blessed man of God deciding (purposing) in his heart not to defile himself with the king's dainties. How many Christian men and women have been able to remain pure and undefiled in the midst of an evil and perverse generation, purely because they decided in their heart and God honored their good desires.

A Tongue without guile

In Ps 17:3-5, we see the man of God crying to the Lord to preserve his steps, but before that, he shows his strong decision to not let his mouth transgress. The Lord helps those who have this brokenness and desire in their heart.

Life & death before us

Dear friend, life and death kept before us. What we choose determines where we are!

In a sober account in the new testament, (Acts 5:4) we see a christian couple who purposed in their heart. But alas, their decision was not to remain righteous, but to lie to the Holy Spirit (and pretend as though they had given the full price of the land sales!). Their decision ends up with the first judgement that is seen in the apostolic times. Let every man minister or give according to what he decides in his heart! Not deceitfully, not grudgingly. (II Cor 9:7-8 )

As for me & my family...

In Joshua 24:15, a man of God places the option of serving God vs serving the idols of the land and makes a choice. As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord! What enabled him to serve the Lord faithfully, but not the others? It's the relation that he had with the Lord and the consecration that he had. This is what makes him to see the faithfulness of God. The works are evident to all men - but few are the ones who know the ways & nature of our Lord.

God honors our purpose & choice & consecration - but what makes the choice work is our faith, our relation with Him

Today, friends, let's just think of one thing. What is the desire of your heart? And what have you purposed in your heart ? Let us pray and choose wisely to walk in the Lord's path and to please Him with our choices and if our choice be such, the Lord will give grace!

God bless you!