Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord and to do it and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.
Shouldn't this verse of Ezra of old remind us how to prepare our hearts for this day? It's amazing to witness that Ezra prepared and directed his heart towards seeking the Lord's way instead of the world's way.
Now the Hebrew word דָּרַשׁ (darash) means to: "Investigate, to tread, to follow and pursue, to seek and ask for the purpose of worship."
You see, Ezra intently investigated the Lord's ways and wanted to follow His will because he had one thing in mind: to live it!
The familiar Hebrew word עָשָׂה (asah) means to "accomplish and bring forth, to fashion and to broadcast, literally to do."
Okay, so get this: here we had a man who not only studied the Word of God but also directed his heart to seek God's way and will in it so that he could literally do it to worship the Lord in all he did!
But that's not all; Ezra had the people around him also in mind, as he wanted to teach the people the statutes and ordinances of the Lord.
As I read this, I immediately wondered what would happen if believers in Christ prepared our hearts each day to seek the perfect law of liberty of who God made us in Christ.
Imagine what would happen if men and women, like Ezra of old, set their hearts diligently to seek the Law of the Spirit of the life in Christ in order to bring forth, to fashion, and to broadcast the reality of living in who Christ has made us so that our lives can proclaim and teach the Gospel!?
Just like Ezra prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, our brother Paul reminded us in Colossians 3:16-17 to: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
May the Holy Spirit draw our hearts to daily investigate and tread and follow and pursue the word of Christ so that our lives may broadcast and teach the Law of perfect liberty because of all Christ has done in us through His death and resurrection, as we get to teach His statutes and ordinances in all we do.
Amen