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THE GOOD HAND OF GOD ON US

By Pastor Bob DeKlavon


For those who are a bit older or, students of the Word— you know the name Chuck Swindoll.

In many ways, he has influenced my style of presenting a sermon. 

I will throw in that he offered the thoughts I have as a foundation for my preaching.

Although I do not remember him ever using this acronym—here is what he shared.

            A sermon should be like a CAR {he provided the 3 points—I put them into this form}.

When you think about a car—it is something you want to have riding smoothly.

That is the way a sermon should be.

So the three points then are that a sermon should be:

            Clear

            Accurate

            Relevant

I never want someone walking away from a sermon wondering what I said.

I also want it to be something that can be applied to life right now.

And I double check to make sure I am accurate in what I am presenting.

Now, at one point—folks began to speak of my name in the same sentence as Chuck Swindoll.

They would say:  “That Bob DeKlavon—he is NO Chuck Swindoll!!”

I chuckle as I think about this realizing that God DOES provide models for us to emulate.

For me—Chuck Swindoll has been great and even being named in the same sentence…well.

Something that has struck me about great ministers over time is how God is upon them.

The fruit produced speaks volumes about what is working through them.

Such is the case with the older testament leader and speaker Ezra.

I will confess that I am almost overwhelmed by Ezra.

I do not know if you have read his story, but it is one worth reading.

What strikes me as much as anything is what is said of him.

Consider the following:

“…the good hand of his God was upon him.”  {Ezra 7:9}.

Think about having the good hand of God on you.  What an amazing thing to consider.

However, we find a reason why God’s good hand was upon him as we look at the next verse.

For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.”

Note the ‘for’ here indicating a cause.

Ezra did not haphazardly spend time with the Lord.

He sought Him out and consistently studied and practiced and taught what he learned.

No wonder God’s good hand was on Him…right?

As I say—take time to make time to spend time with the Lord.

Who knows what His good hand will do with you?

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