Ezra 7:8-10

To have a blessed life, like Ezra, is not about circumstances, but a relationship with God. It’s a total surrender of the whole self, in fact we die to self and take on Christ. Jesus shares this great surrender in the Great Commandment. Matthew 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Ezra shined this great surrender of the whole self; therefore, he was blessed. Let us not concern ourselves with wasted energy on comfort, but on worshipful energy on communion with Christ! Our communion with Christ will naturally spill over to the Great Commission, making disciples!

To receive abundant blessings you must have…

A Heart that Longs for God’s Word “For Erza had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord…”

Psalm 19:8-10 “the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.”

Psalm 119:103 “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

A Hand that Loves to do God’s Work “and to do it…”

James 1:22 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

Matthew 7:24 “Everyone who hears these word of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

A Head that Learns to Instruct Others in God’s Ways “and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.”

2 Timothy 2:2 “and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”

Let’s look at how the heart, hand, and head that love the Lord compare to God’s call for us to be engaged in the Great Commission.

Matthew 28:18-20

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

How do we know His authority if we do not know His Word. The more we long for His Word, the greater and mightier He becomes to us. A heart that longs for God’s word.

 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

When we go, we have hands that love to do His Work.

 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Spiritual reproduction is the sign of maturity in Christ. A Head that Learns to Instruct Others in God’s Ways, a disciple that makes disciples is what it is all about.

Is it a life of comfort? No! In fact if that’s your sole pursuit, a blessed life will only be now, but not for eternity. You will have proven that you’re not of Christ. A blessed life in Christ is about a relationship with Him that moves us to His Word, His Work, and His Ways!