Ezra's Example: A Grateful Heart

Ezra 7:27-28; 8:1-14, 16-20; Nehemiah 3:1-32

Ezra was a godly man whom God used to guide his people when they returned to Jerusalem from captivity in Persia. As such, his life provides us with valuable lessons for our lives today. One way that he gives us an example is the way he exhibited a grateful heart.

He praised God for good fortune. (Ezra 7:27-28)

How do you respond to good news and favorable circumstances that come your way? I’m not asking how you respond eventually, but how do you respond spontaneously, in the moment the news arrives or the circumstance happens?

When Ezra heardthe words of the letter from Artaxerxes, his devotion to God was evidentthrough his initial response. When he heard that the pagan king was grantinghim the opportunity and resources to restore the worship of God in Jerusalem, heimmediately recognized his good fortune as the blessing of God.

Here’s how he didn't respond:

• Hedidn’t take credit for the king’s favor towards him, nor did he explain why hewas somehow the right man for the job who deserved such an opportunity.
• Furthermore,he did not respond with skepticism as though the news were too good to be true,or as though it was impossible to follow through.
• What’smore, he didn’t chalk it up to fate, chance, or “good luck” of some kind.
• Mostimportantly, he didn’t ignore it all together as just an ordinary event that happened.

Here’s how he did respond:

• He “blessed God,” which means that he expressed public appreciation to God through praise. This response reflects a heart heavily influenced and saturated with Old Testament (OT) Scripture (Ezra 7:6, 10). After all, the OT features many instances of either examples or commands to “bless the Lord” (Deut 8:10; Psa 34:1; 96:2-3; 100:4; 103:3; 104:1; 113:1-2; 145:1-2, 10, 21).
• What’s more, the OT teaches God’s sovereign control over and providential intervention in the decisions made by government leaders, whether pagan or godly (Prov 21:1).
• He also alluded to God’s faithfulness to the Jewish forefathers, like the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), as well as Moses and Joshua, David, etc.
• Furthermore, he alluded to God’s loyal, steadfast mercy, kindness, and grace to him (in a personal, individual way) – though undeserved – by continuing to work out his unconditional covenant made with Israel.

Do any of these descriptions resemble your immediate, spontaneous response when moments and instances of good fortune come your way? Do you instinctively, spontaneously praise God?

He appreciated the people who accompanied him. (Ezra 8:1-14, 16-20)

When God providedEzra with a remarkable opportunity to fulfill his divine purposes and advancehis kingdom in the world, Ezra not only showed appreciation to God. He alsoshowed appreciation for the other people who helped him. While praise and theacknowledgment of others should never be a strong motivating factor in ourlabor for the Lord, people find special encouragement when their leadersacknowledge them.

Ezra exemplified this godly leadership quality when he publicly listed out the names of those people who accompanied him and assisted him in restoring Temple worship in Jerusalem. Nehemiah displayed the same virtue when he acknowledge the people who served strategic roles in rebuilding the city walls (Neh 3:1-32), and the apostle Paul, in the New Testament (NT), did the same in the many times he expressed public acknowledgement and appreciation for those men and ladies who had partnered together with him for the gospel (Rom 16:1-23; 1 Cor 16:15-20, et al.).

While it is true that we should never motivate people through flattering words (Prov 29:5; 1 Thess 2:5, et al.), we should also avoid the imbalanced approach of never showing appreciation for people’s service to God.

The OldTestament teaches the necessity of loving God with all your heart (Deut 6:4-5).It also emphasizes loving your neighbor as yourself (Lev 19:17). Centurieslater, Jesus would tie these two commandments together as being oneinterchangeable command so that to love your neighbor would be to love God(Matt 22:37-40).

In a similarway, we should learn how to express our gratitude to God by showingappreciation for his people. Both responses flow from a godly heart that issaturated with Scripture and is grateful for the work of God both forhis people and through his people. Just as loving God and loving yourneighbor are parallel concepts, so blessing God and acknowledging his peopleare parallel concepts as well.

Does your heartand life exhibit these marks of a godly person whose heart is saturated withScripture? Do you praise God for all he is doing in your life, and do you alsoexpress appreciation to the people who are channels of his working in your life?

• The godly person will do these things spontaneously and frequently.
• The self-absorbed person is not this way, but praises God in a delayed manner or not at all and is stingy or silent in saying 'thanks' to God’s people, as well.