Back to Normal

The holidays are over. We have taken the Christmas decorations down. Or at least we are in the process of doing that. In most places, school is back in session. This is the week things get back to normal.

Whatever that means.

Normal may mean different things to different people. What is normal for me in this season of life certainly isn't normal for young mothers of preschoolers. And normal means something completely different to me in this post-stroke season of my life than it did before.

But for those of us who belong to Jesus, there are certain things that should be normal, no matter what our season of life.

Things like love. And joy. And peace. (See Galatians 5:22 for the rest of that list.)

If you have spent much time in the Old Testament book of Ezra, you will recall Ezra has something to teach us about normal. 

"For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel." (Ezra 7:10 ESV)

I read that verse this morning, over and over. I thought about that verse. I pondered that verse. I prayed over that verse. 

And it occurs to me that what Ezra had set his heart to do is what should be normal for each of us who belong to Jesus.

To study. To make a diligent effort to know the Word of God, what it says and what it means.

To do. To obey God's law. To do what God expects of us.

To teach. To be talking about the things of God, sharing them with others, leading others to join us in being obedient to God.

If that isn't our normal, perhaps we need to ask ourselves why it isn't.


What have you set your heart on today? Something to think about.


"I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways. I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget your word." (Psalm 119:15-16 NASB)