Have you ever noticed, with children, that when something bad happens they are quick to point the finger at the wrong doer? Actually, not just children do that. We adults are just as guilty!
I was reading this morning about a man who loved God and wanted to please him greatly. He had just found out that many of his people had not been following the commands of God, including the leaders and rulers.
Listen to the opening line of his prayer…
I prayed, “O my God, I am utterly ashamed; I blush to lift up my face to you. For our sins are piled higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached to the heavens. Ezra 9:6 (NLT)
Ezra included himself in the prayer when he said, “…our sins.” I wonder if we in the church today could take a lesson from Ezra. Rather than praying, “Lord fix them for they are sinners,” perhaps we should be praying, “Lord have mercy on your church. Help US to be faithful to You.”
Here is how Ezra ended his prayer…
O LORD, God of Israel, you are just. We come before you in our guilt as nothing but an escaped remnant, though in such a condition none of us can stand in your presence.” Ezra 9:15 (NLT)
We have to be careful that we don’t adopt an attitude of “I’m holier than you” and instead realize that NONE of us is worthy or able to stand in the presence of God on the merit of our own behavior. Only the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, gives us that right.
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. 3 They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one. (Psalms 14:2 – 3; Romans 3:10 (NASB))
Pray for each other and encourage each other for we have the same Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.
SEEK FIRST THE
