2011 February 18 - Morning Manna

And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. 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 7:8-10)

So the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinims, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities; and when the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities. And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. Nehemiah 7:73-8:3)

Today's Morsel: Most of us have a Bible in our house and some of full of dust. We have no way of understanding how precious that the scroll was to Ezra. We probably don't even have a way to feel the full affect and weight of those precious words in the same way he did. When he read it, everyone knew he was doing what he loved. Have you ever heard someone say, "I was driving home and I was so tired and I don't know how I got home?"  Is that the way Bible reading is to you?  Do you read and then have no recollection as to what you just read or you can't remember what it was all about?  Maybe you should try what Ezra did, read it out loud to yourself, adding your ears to the audience, and see if don't you enjoy reading the Word more.

Sing:  Deeper, deeper, in the love of Jesus daily let me go;. Higher, higher in the school of wisdom, more of grace to know.

Oh deeper yet, I pray, and higher every day, and wiser, blessed Lord, in Thy precious holy word.