CityLight Church’s One Year Bible Reading Plan
Monday, August 8th, 2016
Ezra 7:1-8:20
1 Corinthians 4:1-21
Psalm 30:1-12
Proverbs 20:28-30
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Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
…this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him. – Ezra 7:6
Ezra had supernatural favor with the king of Persia. Whatever Ezra needed for God’s work, he was given: “silver and gold” (v 15), “bulls, rams, and lambs” (v 17), and access to “the king’s treasury” (v 20)! How did he enjoy such favor?
Ezra had supernatural favor over his life “according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him” (v 6). The more God’s hand rests upon your life, the more you will encounter favor everywhere you go. Ezra’s business acumen did not matter. He never had to persuade King Artaxerxes to support him. He simply, “…prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach [it]” (v 10). The more you seek after favor, the harder it will be to find; but the more you seek after God, the more favor will find you!
Some men and women spend their whole lives trying to “earn” favor. Yet Scripture says Jesus already earned it for you. When you believe in Jesus, 1) you have favor with God because of the Cross, and 2) you have favor with man – with the influential people in your life – because of God’s love. You don’t need to spend your life striving for the supernatural favor Jesus already purchased for you on the Cross!
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. – Lk 2:52
Prayer:
Father, I receive Your supernatural favor over my life. I ask that You would open up new opportunities through which I can serve You! Make me an influencer of influencers, a mover of movers, and a shaker of shakers: all for Your glory.
Archives
See commentary from this day in 2014: http://intelligentcharismatic.com/day-220-infinite-love/
See commentary from this day in 2015: http://intelligentcharismatic.com/day-220-infinite-love-2/
© Michael D. White, 2016. All rights reserved.