No Pain, No Gain

Ezra 10:1-8

Have you heard phrase, "No pain, no gain"? I think what most people mean when they use it is that if you are not willing to put in the effort, you will not earn the outcome. This usually applies to things that are physical, like working out in the gym or being on a sports team in training. But, I think there is an application to our relationship with God here. In our final reading for this week, Ezra leads God's people to recommit themselves to covenant obedience. There are a few people around him who feel the "tug" of the Spirit to come back to faithful obedience to the Lord. They call a meeting with everyone to recommit to the Lord. But look at the final verses in our reading today. There was a high price to pay if someone chose not to attend the revival meeting. They would forfeit all their property! Talk about "no pain, no gain", the ancient Israelites made the requirement or recommitment a painful action to ignore. I think this illustrates the seriousness and sincerity of their desire to be holy before God. Obviously, we no longer live in ancient Israel and our property ownership is no longer linked to our spiritual lives. But, we must be willing to be as unwavering in our commitment to holiness as they were. If we truly want to be the faithful people that God wants us to be, we must not only be brutally honest in repentance, but we must courageously unwavering in our commitment to holiness. This is how Ezra led the people to recommit themselves and we should do nothing less today. 

Prayer: 
Heavenly Father, I want to be holy and set apart for You and only You. Please help me to draw a hard line and desire to be fully committed to You and only You. Thank you God for your patience with me. Amen. 

Reflection: 
How serious are you when it comes to the sin in your life?