What Are You Devoted To?
To devote oneself to something is to give all or most of one’s time or resources to the thing. Devotion is the act of giving yourself to something. It’s about commitment and dedication. Is it possible to be devoted to something without being intentional? I’ll leave you to ruminate on that question for a while.
To be intentional is to take deliberate and conscious action, often having a goal in mind. Intentionality deals with one’s intent, often based on an active decision to act, behave or do something with a goal in mind. Intentionality and devotion go hand in hand.
However, I think it's not impossible and many people devote themselves to some things without making conscious decisions to do so. The phrase I’ll use to describe this is accidental devotees - Those who are devoted to something without realising that’s what they’ve done in essence.
“For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” (Ezra 7:10, NIV).
Ezra was among the exiles who returned to Jerusalem after Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and took Israel captive. He was a descendant of Aaron, the chief priest. Before his return to Jerusalem, we learn from the verse above that he “had” devoted himself to three things. His devotion did not start when he arrived in Jerusalem. My guess is that it did not start on his way back, a journey that took five months (Ezra 7:8-9).
Ezra could have consciously prepared himself for exile. Jeremiah had been warning and preparing the people for exile. Jeremiah said that God will punish Israel for their sins, they will go into exile in Babylon and after seventy years they will return (Jeremiah 25:1-14). Perhaps it was from this moment that Ezra carefully and intentionally took with him the book of the law into exile.
Perhaps Ezra was born in exile. It may be that his parents had schooled him in the law of the LORD and told him the story of how God’s people ended up in a strange land. He may have heard them say that God promised a time when His people will return to Jerusalem. Whether it was before or during exile is not as important as the fact that Ezra, at some point during exile devoted himself to God’s law.
This means that Ezra gave himself to the law of the LORD. He studied it, he observed it and committed to the teaching of it. Now let’s look in more detail at what exactly Ezra devoted himself to. He devoted himself to the study, observance, and teaching of the law of the LORD.
We’ve already established that to be devoted is to give yourself to something. Ezra gave himself to the study of the word of God. You become what you give yourself to. Your knowledge and understanding in that area increases. So Ezra gained wisdom and understanding of God from studying His law. Notice that study is not reading. Study is working hard to understand. In study, you are making connections between bits that may at first glance seem unconnected. Ezra knew God through His word; Ezra grew intimate with God by his devotion to study His word.
Notice that for Ezra, it was not enough to just study. Study alone will make you proficient, it may turn you to a professional in an area, but it does not make you a disciple, or adherent. Ezra’s devotion to the observance of the law of God took him to the next level. God does not want us to be hearers, but doers of His word. If Ezra had limited himself to the study, he would simply be a hearer, not a doer. >
I love the third bit of Ezra’s devotion. He devoted himself to teaching God’s word in Israel, which means he was not only studying for his own sake, but he was also thinking about others. He had faith that God’s promise will be fulfilled, and that the exiles will return. He reasoned that the best job for him is the privilege of teaching God’s people. He had a burden to be a student, so he can be a teacher at a time when many may have forgotten the law after returning from exile. The best teachers are students. Ezra was the best of students, and he became the best of teachers.
Ezra’s ministry was fruitful because of his devotion. He read the book of the law to the people loudly in the town square and they “listened attentively” (Nehemiah 8:2-3). He read the word of the law to the people day after day (Nehemiah 8:18) and as a result, there was great revival in the land. The people repented of their sins and turned wholeheartedly to the Lord.
Perhaps the most important lesson I learned from Ezra’s devotion to the study, observance and teaching of God’s word is God’s disposition to him because of his devotion. Listen to this, “…the gracious hand of his God was on him.” (Ezra 7:13). God was with Ezra because of what he devoted himself to. God’s grace and favour was upon him because he gave himself to God.
What are you devoted to? I pray we are not accidental devotees, who fall into a habit that does not profit. I pray we have not accidentally given ourselves to games, TV shows and social media, by spending countless hours on these things. I pray we are intentional people, who will make a conscious decision like Ezra to devote ourselves to God.
In this season, my desire is that we all give ourselves to the influence of the Holy Spirit. That we present ourselves holy and acceptable to God, which is the act of worship God expects from us. When we do that, God’s gracious hand will be on us as it was on Ezra. The disciple God is looking for in the 21st century is the disciple who’s priority is to make their heart habitable for the Holy Spirit, so that He may live there and work through them.