Standing on the Word

This weekend, when I was reading the Old Testament book of Ezra, I was struck by a short phrase that was repeated several times in chapter 7. It's said of Ezra that "the hand of God was with him" or "the gracious hand of the Lord was upon him." That maybe sounds sort of quaint or old-fashioned, but each time it's said, it's offered as an explanation of why Ezra was successful in what he did. I found myself praying that as a prayer for my own life: Lord, please let your hand be on me , so that I can live a life that bears good fruit for your kingdom.

Then I came to verse 10, and I recognised it as a verse that I had written down in my journal when I was sixteen or seventeen years old. It says that Ezra had devoted his life to studying God's Law, to applying it first in his own life, and then to teaching it to others. I remembered, as a teenager, telling the Lord that I wanted to adopt this verse as my personal life-philosophy and that I wanted always to live a life that was firmly grounded in His Word. Re-reading that verse this weekend, it struck me that Ezra's commitment to the Word was probably a big part of the reason why God's hand was on his life.

Several decades have passed since I first noticed this verse, and hopefully I have continued to grow and mature in understanding God's Word and putting it into practice. I'm also thankful for the many times I have had the privilege of teaching the Bible to others, both young and old. (This week, for example, I'm teaching in a discipleship training school here in Spain; teaching about what it means to have a "worldview" that is based in Biblical truth.)

My prayer is that - like Ezra - I'll always be faithful not only to study and teach His Word, but also to stand firmly upon it and apply it daily in my own life.