“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9

These two powerful verses spotlight God’s truth to us who need direction today.  This truth of and about God were given for specific moments in the history of God’s people who needed Him but went their own way.  But when we look closely at those moments when wickedness was all around them and they were living confused broken lives, these very words give us clear direction to obtain the disciplined devotion to God that we need for today!  We, too are broken, confused by the world’s behaviors, and shaded by the evil that tries to overtake us.  IF we will call on His Name with honest, humbled, contrite hearts ready to hear God and turn our backs from the evil that shackles us; God hears us!  God forgives our sins because Jesus, His Son became the ultimate once and for sacrificial payment for our sins! Not only that, God brings healing to broken lives who are battle scarred from sins that once held us down.  God restores us.

It is not God’s desire that anyone perish!  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17 We learn that God is not one who stands ready to take us out or bring us low—that’s what the enemy of God does.  God is a loving, patient, compassion Father who sent His One and Only Son, a part of Himself, to save us from our sins and set us free to love Him back with disciplined devotion to Him. God is Father who knows we are not perfect so He provides perfect forgiveness of our sins.  Relax, God is not about making our lives miserable but blessed with all we need to walk with Him in a world that is full of evil. God delivers us from evil when we pray the prayer Jesus taught us to pray;

“Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptations of evil; but DELIVER us from evil.” –Jesus, Matthew 6:12-13

God has all authority and power over the Number One Enemy—Satan, AKA The Deceiver and Destroyer of Life.  God is Life.  God reigns supreme.  We are blessed with provisions and protection from God Almighty when our discipline devotion includes calling on the Name of Jesus, (which our enemy hates), seeking God’s will for each new day.

As we pray, imagine God doing what this scripture says!  God’s eyes constantly scan the world to find and empower people whose hearts are fully devoted to Him! God is not looking down with condemnation, watching to see when we fail, ready to stomp his foot on our progress, like a lot of us think! 

No! Ratherit’s God’s desire, according to scripture, to demonstrate His strength on their behalf, not to condemn, but to support those who trust Him completely. This call to disciplined devotion to God is a reminder that God actively seeks opportunities to bless the sincere and committed. Wow! (Read all of King Asa’s story in 2 Chronicles who relied on man instead of God.)  

The Principles of Disciplined Devotion

• Seek God first and we will find Him: God isn’t looking for perfection, but for genuine, complete commitment (a “blameless heart” or “fully committed heart”) to show His power.
• God’s Active Support: The searching is to “strengthen” or “show Himself strong” for these individuals, not to judge them.
• Trust in God versus Trust in Self: This verse often follows rebukes (like to King Asa) for relying on man (like doctors or other nations) instead of God, highlighting the foolishness of self-reliance.
• Believing that God is Sovereign: His gaze covers the entire earth, showing His omnipresence and interest in all humanity. 

THIS is the message of hope and encouragement: God is actively looking for people to uplift and empower through their unwavering trust in Him. 

Ezra is one whose heart was disciplined and devoted in seeking God, recording His words, and who also did what God said with complete trust and willing obedience.  Ezra is a great example of one with disciplined devotion to God for all the details of his life.

Ezra 8

List of the Family Heads Returning With Ezra

These are the family heads and those registered with them who came up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes: ² of the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom; of the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel; of the descendants of David, Hattush ³ of the descendants of Shekaniah; of the descendants of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were registered 150 men; ⁴ of the descendants of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men; ⁵ of the descendants of Zattu,^[a] Shekaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men; ⁶ of the descendants of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men; ⁷ of the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men; ⁸ of the descendants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him 80 men; ⁹ of the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men; ¹⁰ of the descendants of Bani, Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men; ¹¹ of the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him 28 men; ¹² of the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men; ¹³ of the descendants of Adonikam, the last ones, whose names were Eliphelet, Jeuel and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men; ¹⁴ of the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai and Zakkur, and with them 70 men.

The Return to Jerusalem

¹⁵ I assembled them at the canal that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there three days. When I checked among the people and the priests, I found no Levites there. ¹⁶ So I summoned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, who were leaders, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of learning, ¹⁷ and I ordered them to go to Iddo, the leader in Kasiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his fellow Levites, the temple servants in Kasiphia, so that they might bring attendants to us for the house of our God. ¹⁸ Because the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah, a capable man, from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah’s sons and brothers, 18 in all; ¹⁹ and Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and nephews, 20 in all. ²⁰ They also brought 220 of the temple servants—a body that David and the officials had established to assist the Levites. All were registered by name.

²¹ There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. ²² I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.” ²³ So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.

²⁴ Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, namely, Sherebiah, Hashabiah and ten of their brothers, ²⁵ and I weighed out to them the offering of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his advisers, his officials and all Israel present there had donated for the house of our God. ²⁶ I weighed out to them 650 talents of silver, silver articles weighing 100 talents, 100 talents of gold, ²⁷ 20 bowls of gold valued at 1,000 darics, and two fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold.

²⁸ I said to them, “You as well as these articles are consecrated to the Lord. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your ancestors. ²⁹ Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem before the leading priests and the Levites and the family heads of Israel.” ³⁰ Then the priests and Levites received the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem.

³¹ On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way. ³² So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days.

³³ On the fourth day, in the house of our God, we weighed out the silver and gold and the sacred articles into the hands of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, and so were the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. ³⁴ Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the entire weight was recorded at that time.

³⁵ Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs and, as a sin offering, twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. ³⁶ They also delivered the king’s orders to the royal satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, who then gave assistance to the people and to the house of God.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Ezra, being the devoted disciplined person he was, recorded the names of the heads of each family departing from exile back home to Jerusalem. Like a disciplined accountant, he also recorded each amount of offering given to each family to carry and protect until it was handed over to the priest in Jerusalem.  God called and blessed Ezra, whose heart was fully devoted to Him, to lead another group of exiles home.  Ezra’s careful study of Scripture throughout his life enabled him to be an effective minister to those in need.

Disciplined Devotion requires Daily Surrender.  So, it seems, the more disciplined in our devotion to God we are, the more effective we will be in His service for His glory.  To know God is to do His will, “his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2 

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” –God, Psalm 46:10 Be still and know God. Be still and know. Be still. Be.

Lord,

Thank you for giving us your strength as we seek to know you more, letting go of what we think and dwell upon to allow Your Holy Presence to indwell in us.  Forgive us as we forgive others who sin against us. Deliver us from evil.

In Jesus Name, Amen