Our Fourth Grandchild

Read Time / 2 Minutes

Theme / Wise Living

We welcomed our fourth grandchild to the world recently, our third grandson.  He was almost two weeks overdue, so my daughter was pleased when she finally delivered.  My newest grandson, Ezra Douglas, was a little over 9 pounds and 22 inches long.  I felt blessed when I heard his name.

I felt blessed because his middle name is my first name: Douglas.  It’s humbling to think that long after I’m gone, my name will continue through him.  But I also felt blessed because my favorite verse in the Bible is Ezra 7:10 - “For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” 

I like the verse because it captures what our lives should look like.  We should build our lives on understanding God’s Word.  Our study of the Bible can range from reading it on our own, to attending small group Bible studies, to taking formal classes.  As we learn and grow in God’s Word, we need to apply it to our lives.  We must be careful to learn not just for the sake of learning, rather, we must study with the intention to use what we have learned.  Once we have studied God’s Word and applied it to our own lives, then we can encourage others to do the same. This encouragement can range from sharing a verse with someone facing a specific situation to preaching a sermon to a large crowd.

My prayer for Ezra Douglas is that he will take his name to heart.  (Some versions translate Ezra 7:10 as “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.”)  Whether Ezra becomes a pastor like his father (my son-in-law), a financial advisor, or pursues a litany of other endeavors in life, I pray that he will always be a student of the Word, seeking to live and share what he learns.  Lord, thank you for grandchildren.

Doug Hanson, MBA

Wealth Advisor

208.697.3699

doug@christianwm.com