you are--because he is

The Word for today:
Ezra 7

mark this: Ezra 7:10
For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.

As I noted (enviously) a couple days ago, Ezra is the Bible teacher's Bible teacher.  First of all, we know that he studied like a madman to learn the Book:
Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. (Ezra 7:6)

Ezra knew his stuff.  That's the first step a teacher has to accomplish.  It's not the most important step, but it's the first. 

But what separates Ezra from the rest is found in Ezra 7:10:
For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.

***

On my keyboard, I have taped a little note I wrote to myself.  Here's what it says:

"Live biblically."

I am not going to dwell today on how that is done.  That's the subject of many lessons to come.  I just want you to think about what that means.

I want you to visualize what your life would look like if you were to live biblically.

Ezra did it.  The Bible says that we should too:
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (James 1:22)

As you think about what living biblically will make your life look like, I want you to recall the very best example of a person who lived biblically.   It was said of him that he made the Bible come to life!--The Word became flesh and lived among us.

That means that when he walked into a room, it was just the same as having a living, breathing enactment of the Bible walk into the room!  That's what I call flaming fantabulous!

And don't make living biblically all about where you fall short.  Because to make it about that would be the exact opposite of living biblically.

You see, living biblically isn't about you at all!  The whole point of the Bible is that Jesus didn't fall short. And because he didn't, you don't have to either.  You don't have to live the way you used to, because you were born again.  That means you have a new nature, the nature of a child of God--the same nature Jesus has.  It means that you are super-natured!

This new supernatural you wants--yes, wants--to live just like Jesus did!  That's the overwhelming desire of your brand new heart:
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  (Ezekiel 36:26)

So don't listen anymore to the sound of the old you echoing in your ears.  All it's going to say, over and over, is that you fall short.

But that was another you.  You're not that person anymore:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.   (2 Corinthians 5:17)

You are a new creation, so start thinking all the new thoughts and promises that the Bible is jam-packed with.  Don't listen to those old echoes anymore.  You just make up your mind to learn all about Jesus and make up your heart to trust in all the wild and radical things he has to say about the new you.

You do that and, by God, one day you will find that  you are living biblically!

It all sort of sneaks up on you.  Then one day, you are--because he is.