Setting Our Hearts

"For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord,

and to practice it . . ."

Ezra 7:10NASB

If only Ezra was available to ask questions like, "How do you set your heart to study the law of the Lord? How do you go about practicing it? What do your daily disciplines entail?"

As I write and talk about The Listening Heart, I would love to have Ezra's insight because setting your heart on Bible Study represents part of a Listening Heart's life. When you love God with all your mind you keep it busy in God's word. I am praying as I write this blog and at this very moment the Lord has impressed upon my heart that you and I have something better than an interview with Ezra. We have the Holy Spirit to guide us, we have the mind of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 2:6-16).

I believe God will do for us what he did for Ezra. If we feed our desire to know God better, he will put a flame in our hearts set on studying his word and strengthen us to obey it. For God's word promises:

"He wakens me morning by morning,

wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.

The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears,

and I have not been rebellious;

I have not drawn back.

Isaiah 50:4-5

This promise is open to all of God's children. If it has come true in my life, I am convinced it will come true in yours, if it hasn't already. All we have to do is ask him to awaken a teachable mind and heart in us.

"Do you not know?

Have you not heard?"

Isaiah 40:21