Legs or Limbs?

During the Victorian era, a person’s legs were referred to as limbs, not legs. At that time, it was believed that just the sight of someone’s legs could inflame passions, leading to impure thoughts. Therefore, women wore floor length gowns, and sometimes, even carved table legs were covered! In contrast, today we live in a culture of sexual exploitation. ”Legs” are exposed! That which was once inconceivable is now considered commonplace. Yet the sinful and distorted passions we see in today’s promiscuous society, although more outwardly prevalent, were just as damaging during the straitlaced Victorian era. Regardless of the age in which we live, these passions are often symptoms of deeper longings and core needs that have not been met.
The problem of unmet longings is of great consequence in marriage. Oftentimes when one struggles with sexual sin, their spouse becomes a victim of either excessive sexual advances or increased emotional distancing. The result is an imbalance of either overindulgence or rigid restriction. This imbalance prevents sexual fulfillment between a husband and wife, causing deep frustration and relational tensions. They run the gamut from control and anger to despair. Some turn to immoral activities, becoming trapped in the grip of their harmful choices that satisfy only temporarily. They find themselves more deeply entrenched, moving closer and closer to self-destructive behavior.
The imbalances of overindulgence and rigid restriction are a result of being discontent, and trying to satisfy our deepest longings outside of God’s perfect balance. This truth can be seen in Genesis, when Satan tempted Eve in the garden. He convinced her that God was too restrictive, preventing her from indulging in the pleasures that the world had to offer. All she had to do was reach out and take it. Governed by her impulse for immediate gratification, Eve exaggerated God’s boundary, making Him appear to be more restrictive than He was. Eve insisted that she would die if she simply touched it. This imbalance of overindulgence or excessive restriction has plagued mankind ever since this encounter in the garden. The result of these imbalances is deep unmet longings.
The danger of living with unmet longings is that we often react by placing unhealthy expectations on others. The more pressure we exert upon other to fulfill our needs, the more we drive a wedge between ourselves and those we love the most. This leads to a sense of loneliness and hopelessness. The problem stems from an unhealthy pursuit of fulfilling unmet longings solely through human relationships, when those deepest longings can only be met by God. As the following chart illustrates, unmet relational longings lead to high risk destructive behavior that serves only as a temporary fix:

Core Needs fulfilled by God's unfailing love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Freedom is found in His truth, and in trusting God in the midst of heartache. Brings lasting fulfillment.

Relational Longings fulfilled by others through physical touch (hugs and kisses), listening, encouraging, showing mercy, and serving. Brings temporary fulfillment.

Self-Destructive Behavior that temporarily fills unmet longings. Requires intense emotional experiences to maintain satisfaction. A counterfeit, brings no real fulfillment.

When we attempt to satisfy our core needs through human relationships rather than God, we come face to face with the painful reality that our fulfillment is short-lived. This lonely experience of having unmet needs is God’s loving mechanism that prompts and woos us back to Himself and his generous throne of grace. He knows that human relationships cannot completely satisfy. As fulfillment wanes, we will either move to the outer circle of high risk behavior or toward the inner circle, clinging to grace in the midst of pain. It is there that we will experience the supernatural delight of true and generous fulfillment.
Those who are suffering in an unfulfilled relationship need to experience the true fulfillment of a fully-satisfying relationship with a pleasurable God. John Piper coined it well when he altered the Westminster confession: “The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever.”  God wants us to enjoy Him! We will never truly enjoy one another until we first enjoy an intimate relationship with God.

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Four Styles of Parenting

Coming Soon...

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Fifteen Extra Years

If you knew that you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do if God graciously extended your life? How would you respond, and how would your life be different? Would your priorities change?

If you knew that you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do if God graciously extended your life? Would your priorities change? Hezekiah was granted fifteen extra years, but were these extra years a blessing or a curse?
As I read the sad yet fascinating commentary in II Kings 20: 1-21, I see that Hezekiah’s healing and additional 15 years unleashed his pride rather than humility. Wouldn’t you think that if you were dramatically healed it would cause you to live in humble thankfulness? But such was not the case. Rather, Hezekiah began his extended life by boasting in his accomplishments to his Babylonian neighbors and then immediately focused on his career and quest for technological advancement. According to history, he tunneled through rock from both sides of a mountain and accomplished an incredible feat. So Hezekiah leaves us with two legacies: the first was his technological marvel, but the second was something that would change the course of world history. This second legacy is found in the very next verse after Hezekiah’s fifteen extra years come to an end:
Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. II Kings 21:1-2
He gave his people water, but he left his son parched, thirsting for his father’s acceptance and direction. Note Hezekiah’s response when the prophet Isaiah told him that his children would be carried away to Babylon and become eunuchs after his death:
“So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘the word of the Lord which you have spoken is good!’
For he said, ‘Will there not be peace and truth at least in my days?’
Hezekiah revealed his true nature. He was a selfish man, concerned only about his personal comfort and protection. Rather than placing a high value on that which was most important in life, his family, he misused his fifteen extra years in vain pursuit of personal satisfaction and gain. I find it amazing that when Hezekiah learned that his children would be taken captive into Babylon, he merely expressed relief in the fact that at least there would be peace while he was alive. Upon hearing the news of future judgment upon his children and grandchildren, Hezekiah could have prayed and wept as he did for himself, but he didn’t. His selfish and temporary focus resulted in a very sad commentary concerning one of his children, Manasseh. In order to catch the full significance of this commentary, note what is stated immediately after the announcement of Hezekiah’s death:
And Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years.
A quick reading of this verse might cause us to focus on the young age of the king, or perhaps the length of time that he reigned. But something far more significant was taking place. Manasseh, Hezekiah’s son, was twelve years old when he began to reign. This shows that Manasseh was born during Hezekiah’s extra fifteen years! The next verse describes the vile nature of Manasseh, the most wicked king of Israel. In II Kings 21:6,9 we read:
 And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, practiced witchcraft, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger…and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.
What went wrong? Do you remember what Hezekiah said when he learned that his children would be taken away captive? He said, “Will there not be peace and truth at least in my days?” He was consumed with his own interests. Hezekiah’s additional fifteen years could have been fruitful and influential years for his family, but what is remembered is “Hezekiah’s Tunnel.” He left Israel with the incredible feat of tunneling through rock in order to connect an underground water line. Unfortunately, he did not connect his son to the water of Living Water.
Rather than weeping and praying for the deliverance of his children, Hezekiah portrayed an attitude as if to say, “That’s ok, there isn’t much I can do to change the future.” His prayers for his children could have made a difference—God had already proven that by a miraculous answer to prayer—He had extended Hezekiah’s life, changing the course of history! Our prayers do matter; they do make a difference! We must never give up on our children. We must pray without ceasing. Why? Simply, because God is able; and if He is able to extend a man’s life for 15 years because he asked, then how much more will God delight in answering the prayer of a parent to change their children’s hearts!

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Does Grace Work?

Dear Mr. Hamby, 
I recently borrowed several of your audio tapes from a friend.  The titles included “The Strong-Willed Parent,” “The Eighth Blessing,” and another on Laziness.  I have been greatly convicted and blessed by your teaching. The change in our family life has been dramatic. 
When our first child was born 7 years ago, I looked and looked for Christian teaching on discipline and raising godly children. I settled on a “first-time obedience” approach that was popular.  My husband willingly went along with it, being as uncertain as I was about how to raise Godly children. 
I carried a lot of anger and resentment toward my children.  I viewed their disobedience as a personal offense against me.  I was exasperated by their lack of self-control and emotions.  My oldest daughter is very strong-willed, and her temper tantrums were outrageous. The tantrums were not used as a tool to get attention in public or to manipulate me, but they were always directed at me (rarely her father) in the home. Her behavior outside of the home was impeccable. It made it very hard to talk with anyone about this problem. No one believed there WAS a problem, or passed it off as an isolated incident or a “stage.” And no one ever, ever challenged me to remove the log in my own eye. She did not sleep well at night since very early on.  She was defiant and talked back a lot. My daughter never completed a chore without intervention from me.  She was determined to have her say when corrected.  It was an uphill battle all the time, and quite frankly I didn’t enjoy her at all.  
I read Heartfelt Discipline by Clay Clarkson last summer, and I was convicted that I had found a discipline style that suited me early on...and that I had not truly searched the scriptures to find how to reach my children’s hearts.  While I thought I was following God’s lead, I realize that I had my own agenda and it was a self-righteous one that didn’t require me to change.  I wasn’t willing to consider that my convictions were selfish ones.  I confessed my sin to the Lord and began to show more tenderness and self-control with my daughter.  I still fell into the old ways often, though. 
It wasn’t until I listened to your tapes that I really heard some things to apply in my life.  Your frankness and honesty about your personality and about your mistakes spoke right to my heart.  I could have put my name in your place.  I was ALWAYS correcting my daughter, ALWAYS finding fault with her endeavors, ALWAYS saying her name in a way that implied disapproval or correction, ALWAYS fussing about undone chores.  I had placed responsibility over relationship. I had a child who was fearful of my correction - that’s the root of the sleep problem, and the reason for her unwillingness to try so many things. I was not casting out fear with love.  The story about making the bed – ouch! That was going to be me in ten years.  You were so transparent as you told of your relationship with the sheep and Jonathan.   
I realized that my little girl had very little chance of earning my approval.  I stopped getting angry every time a simple chore was left undone.  I stopped spanking.  I stopped lecturing.  I started cleaning her toys up outside without asking her to help.  I went upstairs and made her bed in the morning.  She spent a Saturday morning with me to run errands.  I asked her what she wanted to do, and that’s what we did. The errands got done another day. She loves flowers and gardens; I bought her a ton of seed packets and helped her plant them.  She loves to paint; I started painting with her several times a week.  I started hanging a butterfly on her closet door at night after she fell asleep, so if she woke up she would KNOW that I had kept my promise to check on her.  I started hugging and kissing her intentionally.
In a matter of days, the most remarkable thing happened.  I was doing some cleaning, and I asked my youngest to do a small chore, which she did willingly.  Without my asking for help, my daughter set about doing chores—big chores that required a lot of effort on her part. She dusted, swept, and washed dishes.  She straightened up and put things away properly.  It was then I realized what a different child she had become.  She sleeps better at night.  She laughs more, and she is not as angry. She takes offenses from her younger sister better. She handles disappointment with grace and not anger. She says “yes ma’am” and “no ma’am” consistently. She accepts my correction willingly and changes her behavior when necessary.  She cleans up her outdoor toys without being told.  She wants me to read to her now instead of just tolerating it. And best of all, she has started talking about the things that are in her heart, and she wants ME to hear them. 
When I started trying to disciple her the way Jesus would, she bloomed. She is a joy to be with, and I have lost my anger and impatience. When those feelings do try and creep to the surface I can label them, confess them, and deal with them before they control me. 
Thank you for being so honest and sharing so much of yourself as you lecture. God allows us to remember our sins, not so we condemn ourselves repeatedly, but so we can show others what he has delivered us from.   
I look forward to reading more of the wonderful books you have published and sharing them with my two beautiful daughters.  
Our God is a GREAT God.

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Building Success or Confirming Failure?

A rushed businessman plunked a dollar into the cup of a man selling pencils on the sidewalk. Half a block down the street, he turned around and made his way back to the beggar. “I’m sorry,” he said as he picked out his favorite color in a pencil. “In my haste I failed to make my purchase. After all, you are a businessman just like me. Your merchandise is fairly priced and of good quality. I trust you won’t be upset with my failure to pick out my purchase.” With that he smiled and quickly went on his way.
At lunch a few months later, a neatly dressed, handsome man approached the businessman’s table and introduced himself. “I’m sure you don’t remember me, and I don’t even know your name, but your face I will never forget. You are the man who nspired me to make something of myself. I was a street bum selling pencils until you gave me back my self-respect. Now I believe I am a businessman.”
from Forty-Eight Days - Hope and Inspiration 

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Satisfaction That Dislodges

If we confront a deeply entrenched idol directly and say, “I’m not going to do that anymore,” two things happen. We develop a negative focus, and we create a satisfaction vacuum in our lives. A negative focus leads us to self righteousness and blindness. An unmet need for satisfaction pulls us toward false solutions like iron filings to a magnet. We need to find true satisfaction to fill our unmet needs. If we try to dislodge idols in our own strength, we will become defeated and deluded. If we find satisfaction in Jesus, the idols lose their power and appeal.
From Living Free by Beth Moore

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Bear the Yoke In His Youth

Currently I am involved in research on character development and family counseling. During my course of study on adolescent conflict and restoration I came across the following verse in Lamentations. As I began digging I knew I had struck gold!
“It is good for a man that he should bear the yoke in his youth.”
Lamentations 3:27
Jeremiah pours out his heart as he endures the unbearable rejection of his peers. He feels unloved and devalued, and spends a significant amount of time blaming God as being responsible for his deepest hurts and unmet longings. He literally blames God for using him as target practice!
He bent His bow, and set me as a target for His arrows.
Lamentations 3:12
Half of chapter three is devoted to blaming God for this seemingly incurable despair. Note the following accusations he levels against God:
“He has driven me away…”
“He has made me walk in darkness…”
“He has turned His hand against me…”
“He has wasted my flesh…”
“He has shattered my bones…”
“He has hedged me about that I can’t get out…”
“He has made my chain heavy…”
“When I cry out and call for help, He shuts out my prayer…”
(Lamentations 3:1-8)
It would seem that in a court of law this would be enough evidence to convict God of assault and battery. But certainly this cannot be possible, because the very character of God dictates otherwise. You see, God is love, and in Him is no darkness at all. He loves us so much that He who knew no sin became sin for us, so that we might possess the very righteousness of God. This is love that cannot be measured. It is so vast, so overwhelmingly beautiful. But in his despair, Jeremiah blames God! He cannot see beyond his overwhelming sorrow.
Though God was not the cause of Jeremiah’s unmet longings, I believe that his complaint follows the pattern of what most adolescents experience when they feel unloved and devalued. These feelings of despair and inner turmoil, though unpleasant, are a necessary step in the maturing process of adolescents. To protect them from this process is to delay the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Today, we have many twenty, thirty, and forty year olds that I would consider stuck in an adolescent mindset. They simply have not grown up. Apart from interacting with God, it is impossible to reach genuine maturity.
We live in a day when youth are protected from bearing their “yoke.” Well-meaning parents often shield their teens from making wrong decisions, but a wise parent understands that allowing their child to suffer the consequences of wrong choices can be a beneficial learning experience.
God knew that Jeremiah’s turmoil would help him more than hurt him. In the midst of his pain the prophet cries, “I vividly remember my sufferings and because of this, I have hope!” Can you imagine? How can he say that he has hope as he remembers how much he has suffered? Simply, each of us can look back and see that God has delivered us in small and unusual ways. Yes, some hurts are greater than others, but He never leaves us in a state of despair, without hope. There is always hope—but it cannot be found apart from a very important step. Listen to the prophet Hosea’s words:
Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us but he will heal us; He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds…that we may live in His presence. Hosea 6:1
Suffering, particularly emotional suffering, is an important process in adolescent development. If the adolescent receives the necessary support during this time, they will learn that this too shall pass—that the sun will indeed rise again another day. The problem however is that teens often build walls during this time of intense suffering, thus delaying the lessons that they could be learning. The prophet Hosea hits the nail on the head when it comes to the reason that adolescents and adults fall short from experiencing the shift from despair to hope:
And they do not cry to Me from their heart when they wail upon their beds. Hosea 7:14
God desires for us to cry out to Him, to take off the masks, and pour our heart out to Him. He will hear and He will act. God bruises that he might heal. He injures in order to restore.
In his darkest hour Jeremiah has hope. Being convinced of God’s goodness, he pens these immortal words,
“It is by the kindness of our great God that we are not destroyed, for His mercies never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
The Lord God is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in Him.
The Lord God is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul seeking Him.”
(Lamentations 3:22-25)
God allowed the pain so that Jeremiah would experience Him as the One who could meet his deepest needs. Only in the midst of his pain, could Jeremiah experience the resurrection power of God’s incredible compassion and grace. Through the reality of his pain, Jeremiah saw the reality of God’s never-ending compassion. He had experienced it before and was able to count on it again for his present difficulties, for His mercies never fail!
“For the Lord will not reject forever,
For if He causes grief,
Then He will have compassion,
According to His abundant loving kindnesses.
For He does not afflict willingly.”
(Lamentations 3:31-33)

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If you look back five years, who would you say has influenced your thinking?  To whom have you turned for inspiration? In our day of shallow thinking and tainted worldviews, who has motivated you to move forward to fulfill your dreams or to answer that subtle (or sometimes not-so-subtle) calling deep within?  Better yet, whose thinking have you influenced?  Who has turned to you for inspiration?  And who have you motivated to fulfill their dreams or to answer that calling deep within?   
We neither live nor thrive in a vacuum.  We are neither rocks nor islands.  It is our very nature to be influenced or inspired by others; it is our privilege to do the same.
To say that there is no one in your life who has been influential or inspirational, perhaps because you live in a spiritually or culturally, or even geographically deprived area is a poor excuse. You can be surrounded by extraordinary and ordinary people who, through their heroic actions or humble spirit have made a huge difference in this world—either in our day, or in days gone by; in our land, or on exotic soil. Reading books—good books, life-changing books—gives you the opportunity to experience life outside of your finite, limited world. You can bear the burdens, celebrate the triumphs, enjoy the experiences and learn the lessons of real men and women, boys and girls whom you will never see with your eyes nor touch with your skin. What richness! What depth! What an opportunity to be influenced and inspired!
Many great people have made a difference in my life since I began to read (at twenty-two years old!) I particularly love the story about the boy who asked many questions. He asked so many questions that his father thought he was stupid and his teacher considered him a dunce, and requested that he be removed from school. But his mother believed in him. She believed that God had a special plan for his life. She inspired him to pursue his dreams. Years later, he became a famous inventor. This is what he said:
“My mother was the making of me. She was so true, so sure of me; and I felt that I had someone to live for. I did not have my mother very long, but in that length of time, she cast over me an influence which has lasted all my life. If it had not been for her appreciation and her faith in me at a critical time in my experience, I should very likely never have become an inventor.” Signed, Thomas Edison
This glimpse into Thomas Edison’s life helped me to realize the power of influence. Note Edison’s own words—“an influence which lasted all my life.” Sometimes all it takes to light the fire that idly simmers within hearts, all it takes to release the pent-up creativity, all it takes to soften the many-layered hard, crusty shell—is just the right person, or just the right book—carefully selected; carefully timed.
In my early twenties, I longed for a spiritual mentor whom I could follow. Our church fellowship was sweet and endearing, but something was lacking. I wanted conversations that were filled with the issues of life. I wanted to grapple with besetting sins and plans that would change the world. But my inner longings weren’t satisfied. I needed to be influenced. I needed someone to turn to for inspiration. Then, during the summer of 1980, a dozen biographies arrived in the mail, special delivery, from a man who knew my secret—I hated to read! I held the box, and after my initial diagnosis that it wasn’t a bomb, I reached inside and pulled out a book. The first thing I noticed was that it was small and non-threatening—only about 3/8ths of an inch thick—and since I never judged a book by its cover, only by its size, I decided I would give it a try. It was the biography of D.L. Moody. Before I knew it, I was half-way through. Literally, I couldn’t put it down! I had found my first mentor, and my love for reading was ignited.
Could there be another book in that box that could breathe life into such a thirsty soul? I reached in and found another “thin one.” He Dared to Trust God for Countless Orphans, the life-story of George Mueller. Skeptical at first, I found myself three hours later, still reading! What faith Mueller had! What commitment to Jesus Christ on behalf of those helpless, starving children. He fed them through his incredible, faith-believing prayers! I wanted to be like him—yearning to taste the miraculous power of answered prayer!
I learned an important lesson that week. I learned that my mentors could be found on the pages of great books. Inspired by what D.L. Moody did on his feet and what George Mueller did on his knees, I began to pray like I’d never prayed before, and then I began to attach those prayers to my feet. I will never forget the time I was visiting the parents of children who were attending my children’s church class. The parents of this one particular family had never attended our church, so I gave them a visit. After several knocks on the door, in a neighborhood where I felt strangely out of place, this large, dark figure emerged and pressed his nose against the fogged storm door. “Thank you, Mr. Hayes, for sending your children to our church,” was my introduction. There was a strange and eerie silence, so I repeated my nervous thank-you as I began my backward decent. He was an impressive figure with flaring nostrils and bulging eyes—about two hundred thirty pounds. Safely at my car, I began to open the door, when all of a sudden he bolted out of his house, running toward me like a mad man with a meat cleaver! It was the quickest prayer I’d ever offered! Face-to-face he began to taunt me, yelling that if I ever came back, he’d eat me up and spit me out! There I was—five foot six and ¾ inches—standing against a six-foot, two-hundred-thirty-pound Godzilla! Fortunately for me, he was really referring to eating me up and spitting me out in a game of basketball as we stood near his court. It was like a Clint Eastwood-style movie. I turned, looked him straight in the eyes and said, “Why wait till next time, let’s do it now!”
Was I crazy? This guy could destroy me in a game of basketball—there was no doubt. But I had an edge—a powerful God who really could answer the innocent prayers of simple faith. This was not really about basketball. I was fighting for a soul. I can’t remember when I was more confident. I could just sense that God was there. All eight of his children and his wife came out to cheer. I looked at Mr. Hayes and told him that I wasn’t a betting man, but if I won, he would have to come to church for the next two Sundays; if he won I would be his slave every Saturday for one month. I felt that it was a win-win situation for me, but with all my heart I wanted this man to come to hear the gospel. He again taunted me, saying how he would eat me up and spit me out; but then there was a change in his behavior. I asked him if I could borrow a pair of his old sneakers (I learned this from Hudson Taylor!) He was shocked that I would ask him, of a different skin color, to wear his shoes. I wore a size 9—he was a 13! Can you picture this? So there I was—it was a classic David and Goliath scene. First, I went over to a large rock behind the court, knelt and prayed, “Lord, I am in big trouble! I need your help. Please help me to beat this guy so he’ll come to church.” I could feel him breathing down my neck as he yelled, “Hey, what you doing, man!?” “I’m talking to my Coach,” I retorted with a smile. Let the game begin!
You just had to be there. He wouldn’t let me dribble the ball more than three feet on the court before he forced me out of bounds. He was playing tough. All I could do was throw the ball toward the basket from about thirty feet away and—SWISH! Fifteen in a row! Everything I shot in the air went in. Angels must have been sitting on top of the basket, catching everything I shot and guiding them in! You should have seen his face!
Two weeks later, during the Sunday evening message, Mr. Hayes was the first person down the isle, calling upon the Lord to be saved! And to think all of this happened because of a book about a man who put his faith to his feet, and another who lived it out on his knees. Finally, I was experiencing what, up to this point, I had only been reading about. It was true—all true—there is a living faith, an abundant life that God has planned for each us. All I needed was for someone to show me the way. I had been influenced. I had been inspired. And there was no turning back.
Oh, if there were only enough room for me to tell you about the life-changing stories of Amy Carmichael, John Newton, Hudson Taylor, Charlie Jones, Fenelon, Gladys Alward, and Esther Anne Kim! I am wholeheartedly dedicated to the task of finding literary treasures that will give all of us, young and old, hope to take on life’s challenges, courage to overcome overwhelming obstacles, and resolve to answer the inner calling that leads to a life of purpose and meaning. Simply, it is my desire to fan the flame, that it might burn brightly in our children’s hearts. As we at Lamplighter Publishing unbury these lost treasures, may they serve to inspire and influence you, and to help you to motivate others to fulfill their dreams and answer that calling deep within.

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As I probed further into the meaning of the names in the genealogical record of Jesus, I turned to the book of Ezra to examine the meaning of Azor. The names Ezra and Azor contain the same root letters, similar to that of John or Jon, Mat or Matt, Lori or Laurie in the English language. After learning that both Ezra and Azor means “helpful,” it was fascinating to discover why Ezra was chosen to help in the rebuilding of the temple.
In Ezra 7:6 we read: “This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him. Verse 10 explains why the hand of God was upon Ezra: “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel, statutes and judgments.” Ezra’s focus was God. He was blessed in all that he did because of his commitment to God. But there is another characteristic that made Ezra so admirable. Why was he chosen above all others by the king of Persia? Was it because he was the most religious? I believe there is yet another reason. Ezra was described as being a “ready” scribe. The word “ready” comes from the Hebrew word ryhm which means” to make haste, to be liquid, to flow easily, to be diligent, swift, and skillful.”
After preparing his heart, Ezra prepared his hand. He took the time and initiative when he was young to cultivate habits and skills that would prove him worthy. Being impressed with these attributes, the king of Persia chose Ezra, prepared in heart and hand, to rebuild the house of the most high God.

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