June 1992
FROM SEEKING TO SHARING
“For Ezra had
prepared His
heart to seek the law of the LORD,
and to do it, and to teach in Israel
statutes and judgements.”
(Ezra 7:10)
In 1980,
after
thirty years as a pastor, I felt the Lord was leading me to a new phase
of ministry. I didn't know what it was for sure, but I was
convinced it would involve teaching the Bible in some way. That
pleased me very much because I love to study the Word, and I love to
share it.
As I spent time in prayer and study, seeking
God's instructions in this matter, I was drawn to the book of
Ezra. Since Ezra was a teacher of the Word, I felt a kinship with
him. And I found some special promises in Ezra that seemed to be
especially for me.
I read in Ezra 7:6 that "the king granted him
(Ezra) all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon
him." And Ezra 7:10 told me why God's hand was upon him. It
was because "Ezra had prepared (lit. "set") his heart to seek the law
of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and
judgements."
So I took that as a promise and a pattern for
my own ministry. I set out to share the Word wherever I had an
opportunity. And I spent many long hours seeking the meaning of
God's Word so I would have something worthwhile to share.
I greatly enjoyed both the seeking and the
sharing. But there seemed to be something missing. So I
went back to this passage and discovered that I had skipped a part of
the process: submission to the Word. Ezra set his heart to seek
the Word, and I had done that. Ezra set his heart to share the
Word, and I had done that. But Ezra had also set his heart "to do
it", to submit to the Truth of the Word as he discovered it and before
he shared it. I had not done that.
So I set my heart to be submissive to the Word
of God, learning the truths God wanted me to share through experience
rather than through study alone. I don't think I was prepared for
how hard that would be. Nor did I realize that I would still be
in kindergarten twelve years later.
Being submissive meant we would move four
times in four years. It meant we would move up here in the
country eight years ago. It meant giving up our own plans.
It meant giving up the plans others had for us. It means staying
here and staying available until the Lord gives us other instructions.
God doesn't want His people to take a
short-cut, but to go the long way ... through submission. After
all, Jesus practiced what He preached.
Can we do less?
This
article is a gift to the body of Christ. Use it any way
that will help people and honor Him.