DO IT

by Tammy Phillips
June 29, 2021

“ARISE, for this matter is your responsibility. We also [are] with you. Be of good courage and DO IT.” (Ezra 10:4 NKJV)

Expounded I hear Ezra 10:4 like this:

ARISE, stand up. go forth. be fixed. endure, persist, grow up, for this matter, word, plan, purpose, affair, business, is your RESPONSIBILITY. We are also with you. Be of GOOD COURAGE. Be strong. Be bold. Hold on. Harden up. Grow firm. Be undaunted. Be resolute and DO IT. Make it happen, Work at it. Commit to it. Accomplish it. Attend to it. Finish it. Complete it.

I am thankful to God that He is patient, kind and forgiving. I am thankful that He was the first to coin the phrase, “DO IT.” I am humbled that He allows us to repeat lessons that we do not get the first, second or four hundred and forty- fifth time. I have been hearing the LORD urging me on for a few years with the words, “DO IT.” Sometimes, I do it right the first time, yet many times I don’t. I just recently found Ezra 10:4 which led me to search for all the times “DO IT” is in the Bible. Here is what I found…

“Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. be strong, and DO IT.“ (1 Chronicles 28:10) What has the LORD chosen you to do?

Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God–my God–will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you (DO IT) have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.” (1 Chronicles 28:20 NKJV) Have you finished your assignment?

“Hear…and observe to DO IT; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that flows with milk and honey.” (Deuteronomy 6:3 KJV) Have you done it? Are you well? Have you made it to your promised land? Obedience has great reward.

And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the LORD and (DO IT) do all his commandments which I command thee this day. (Deuteronomy 30:8 KJV) Do you know the word of the Lord for your situation ?

“But the Word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may DO IT. (Deuteronomy 30:14 NKJV) God gives us all we need to do it. We must look for the how.

He who calls you (to DO IT) is faithful, who also will DO IT. (1 Thessalonians 5:24 NKJV). If the Lord has told you to do it, He is faithful to help and to do it.

“And whatever you do, DO IT heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” (Colossians 3:23 NKJV) Do it for the Lord and no one else.

“But He answered and said to them, ‘My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and DO IT.'” (Luke 8:21 NKJV). We hear the word. We do it. We are counted as His family. So much so that…

“If you ask anything in My name, I will DO IT. If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:14-15 NKJV) Love Him? Do what He says.

“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not DO IT, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17 NKJV). When we do not do what He has told us, it is sin.

“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must DO IT, what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves… If you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for DOING IT. (James 1:22, 25 NLT) Hallelujah. God blesses the “do it,” when it is done!

Israel was returning from Babylonian captivity. They had not done things according to the word of God. However,“Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.” (Ezra 7:10 NKJV) The Israelites realized they had not done things the right way, so they came to Ezra and said, “Let’s do this. Let’s do it the right way, the God way.”

This is how Ezra and Israel responded in Ezra 10:

They arose and went to work.
They swore to DO IT
They fasted.
They confessed.
Ezra commanded Israel to “DO HIS WILL!” and to…
Separate from their sin! This is the same encouragement as, REND YOUR HEARTS!
They then answered the call and said, “As you have said, I must DO.”
They realized the work could not be done in a day or two because they greatly transgressed.
They came up with a plan to “DO IT” the RIGHT WAY.

Think about it! I am. What has God told you to do and you have not done it? Ezra came up with a great plan that we can follow. They got up and went to work. They committed to it and took an oath to do it. They fasted and confessed their sin. They then acted and began to rend their heart and separate themselves from their sins. They answered the call and realized it was going to take a bit of time to do it. So, they came up with a plan to do it the right way.

I enCOURAGE you to arise, take responsibility, be brave and DO IT. Do what the Holy Spirit has been asking you to do. If you do not know the God way, seek Him. He will instruct you in the way to go. In the meantime, follow the steps that Ezra laid out. It will get you on the right path to “do it” the God way. Thank God that every morning is a day to begin again and do it…the right way.