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 (Ezra 7:10).

It is not uncommon these days to find Christians who want to serve God yet are unwilling to allow His Word work in their lives. But it has always been God’s way to present His message through the fleshly tables of men’s hearts and lives, not only through written scripts and sermons.

Ezra the Old Testament prophet enjoyed God’s favor because he understood this principle. The Bible, in the seventh chapter of Ezra, tells us that the ruling king at the time granted Ezra all his requests “according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him.” Ezra took a dangerous trip to Jerusalem, and his trip went well “according to the good hand of his God upon him.” The scripture tells us that Ezra succeeded because he “had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.” So we learn that Ezra not only committed himself to God’s service but also allowed God’s laws to work in his life.

In the lives of our Lord Jesus Christ and His early apostles, we see submission and obedience to the Father and to His Word as foundations of their anointed and effective ministries. Even today, it is evident to discerning eyes that servants of God who allow the Word to work in their lives carry a strong fragrance of life and are effective at fulfilling God’s purposes for their ministries.

As we seek to labor for the Lord, therefore, let us not only desire to be His messengers but let us allow Him to transform us into His message, living proofs of the lifestyles He sends us to proclaim. In Jesus’s name, amen.