Your Heart, God’s HandYour Heart, God’s Hand

Ezra 7-8

OutlineOutline

• Devote your heart to God’s wordDevote your heart to God’s word

• Entrust your life to God’s handEntrust your life to God’s hand

• Steward all God’s Entrusted Steward all God’s Entrusted

• See God’s hand on your lifeSee God’s hand on your life

Devote Your HeartDevote Your Heart

Ezra had a devout Ezra had a devout • Lineage (7:1-6)Lineage (7:1-6)• Heart (7:10)Heart (7:10)• Method (7:10)Method (7:10)

– StudyStudy– DoDo– TeachTeach

Jeremiah 15:16Jeremiah 15:16

• 16 Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.

Psalm 1:2-3Psalm 1:2-3

• But his delight But his delight isis in the law of the LORD, in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.And in His law he meditates day and night.

• He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.and whatever he does shall prosper.

Entrust Your LifeEntrust Your Life

• He followed God’s will (7:14,18,20,26)

• He refused the King’s protection (8:21-22)

• He begged God’s protection (8:23)

Steward all God’s EntrustedSteward all God’s Entrusted

• Be Faithful (8:26-30, 33-34)

• We will all give an account (1 Cor 3:13-15)

1 Corinthians 3:13-151 Corinthians 3:13-15

silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become each one's work will become manifestmanifest, for the Day will disclose it, , for the Day will disclose it,

because it will be revealed by fire, and because it will be revealed by fire, and the the fire will test what sort of work fire will test what sort of work each one has doneeach one has done. . If the work that If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.  If anyone's work is burned will receive a reward.  If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. saved, but only as through fire.

See God’s HandSee God’s Hand

• Ezra’s unique theme

• Ezra believed & stated it– God’s provisions (7:6,9,27-28)– God’s people (8:15-18)– God’s protection (8:22, 31)

Psalm 139:5Psalm 139:5

You hem me in,

behind and before,

and lay your hand upon me.

1 Chronicles 4:101 Chronicles 4:10

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying,

"Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So

God granted him what he requested.

Psalm 32:4Psalm 32:4

For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by

the heat of summer. Selah

 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my

transgressions to the Lord," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

Isaiah 64:8Isaiah 64:8

But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all

the work of your hand.

CommitmentCommitment

I will

• Set my heart on God’s Word

• Place my life in God’s hand

• Steward all’s God’s entrusted

• Watch for God’s hand on my life