King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Diligent With God
Date: Tuesday May 22, 2012
Today's Chapters: Ezra 7-8

Hello My Friend,

The word diligently is defined as a steady, careful application, a constant effort to accomplish a task given, it's an exertion of the body or mind without unnecessary delay. We can serve God all day long, but unless we personally seek the “living by faith alone” relationship with God than we will never accomplish very much for God, ourselves, or anyone. God rewards us when we diligently seek Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. Of course, our faith goes up and down like a roller coaster, but as we steadily seek to accomplish His will even faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen... Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” - Hebrews 11:1,3,6.

Ezra was born during the Jews Babylonian captivity, he was a descendant of Aaron, Israel's first high priest. He was sent to Jerusalem to bring spiritual leadership to the people. Now, that all the work had been completed we are given an account of Ezra and the people who willingly accepted the call to rebuild the temple. The key to Ezra's effectiveness in accomplishing the will of God is that he diligently prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, in other words, he studied God's Word and followed it.

“For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments. Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time. I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee. 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?” - Ezra 7:9,10,12,13,23.

God's Word is the source of strength by which His children cannot be defeated. Ezra was committed to seeking, doing, and teaching God's Word. This should be a reminder that, if we want all the blessings that God has intended for our lives, we too must diligently prepare our hearts to seek the truth in God's Word and do as He commands. “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” - 2 Peter 1:8-11.

Everyone reading this is at different levels of their Christianity, some may be learning of Christ as we speak, some are babes in Christ or have been saved for years. Some are returning to a life with Christ in it or have known Him since they were born. Some have followed Him afar, never been taught the Word of God at all or have been faithfully reading, following, and teaching God's Word for years. Whatever level we are, there is always room for improvement, therefore, we need to diligently and willingly, by faith, study God's Word. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” - 2 Timothy 2:15.

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 overwhelmed 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's time to fast and pray, the bigger the decision the longer fasting and praying probably needs to be. Moses and prayed fasted, Jesus fasted and prayed, David fasted and prayed. In most cases fasting is abstaining from food for periods of time, such as a 24 hour fast or sunrise to sunset, but fasting does not necessarily mean to abstain from food. It's simply a time to spend more time with God where you would be doing something else, like watching tv, spending time on the computer, or even exercising. Jesus gives us an example of fasting.

“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, and their families headed toward Jerusalem, along with all they could carry. “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, reminding them that God would protect and provide for them on their journey and He did, they arrived safely in Jerusalem four months later. God is always with His people, at times, it may seem as if He is no where to be found, but that is when He is working in us. So many people question God over tragic things that happen to them or others upon serving Him, but think about what He went through as He watched His Son being beaten and hung to die for the sins of every person, past, present, and future. Tragic things are going to happen whether we are saved or not, but we can get through them much easier with Christ.

“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” - Romans 5:6-11.

Today's Psalm: 119:4 - “Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.”

Today's Proverb: 7:15 - “Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.”

Today's Prayer: God, I want to be diligent in my walk with You. As I read and study Your Word give me Your power to understand and follow it as best as I know how. Open my heart to receive, accept, and follow Your will in ever area of my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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