DEVOTION

Theme: Your Foreign wives 

Text: Ezra 10:7-12

7 And they issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the descendants of the captivity, that they must gather at Jerusalem, 8 and that whoever would not come within three days, according to the instructions of the leaders and elders, all his property would be confiscated, and he himself would be separated from the assembly of those from the captivity.

9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered at Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth of the month; and all the people sat in the open square of the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of heavy rain. 10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have transgressed and have taken pagan wives, adding to the guilt of Israel. 11 Now therefore, make confession to the Lord God of your fathers, and do His will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the pagan wives.”

12 Then all the assembly answered and said with a loud voice, “Yes! As you have said, so we must do.

Sin has been our woes with God. We come to Him all sorrowful and seeking He cleanses us and make us whole. He draws us near and then we mess up when we're comfortable. Dear friends in Christ Jesus, if you're comfortable, be careful what you do. In your land of promise, be careful what you do before you become a captive in another land. 

In the text for consideration, Ezra speaks with the children of God, to do away with their foreign wives. We will observe how prompt they responded to the call. In our lives today, we need to also respond promptly to God's voice. In the time of Zacchaeus, Christ simply told him to come down for salvation has come unto him and he gladly did (Luke 19:1-9).

What then are the foreign wives in the lives of believers today? 1 Corinthians 6:15-17 informs us that, we are joined to Christ and so our members cannot be united with the harlot. The foreign wives in our dispensation are the things that have taken most of our time and often have little or no time for God. These include; TV programs, phones, and other technologies, careers, friendships amongst others. We've become too glued to these things that our relationship with God has been compromised.

The word of God today to us is to do away with these foreign wives. We need to separate from them as the second letter to the Corinth church says; 14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” 17 Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” 18 “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

God can't share His glory with anything. Hearken to His call to repentance and do away with these foreign wives. As God is speaking to you today, open up to Him so as to have His way in your life. The assembly responded, Yes! As you have said, so we must do. This should be your confession too. 

Prayer: Dear God, I know am a bride to Christ but out of greed and selfishness, I've united myself with darkness in ungodly covenants. Help me to breakout from every foreign marriage (company of evil) and live solely for You in Jesus' name. AMEN!