When Ezra got back to Israel, he was informed of some of the sins that were still being practiced among the people.
And it broke his heart.
He took sin really seriously. He knew that the consequences of sin were severe, and that the people of Israel had already suffered so much because of their poor choices.
And he didn’t want them to go through that again.
What’s interesting is that when he confesses to the Lord, he includes himself in the guiltiness of the people.
Usually we see leaders blame-shift and point fingers, but here we see a leader taking the fall for something he didn’t do.
These specific sins were not being committed by Ezra, but Ezra knew that he wasn’t perfect.
A true heart of repentance doesn’t look at others’ sins and compare it with their own. It understands that we’re all guilty and accepts the part that we’re responsible for.
Whether you’re 5% responsible for a problem, or 95% responsible, you’re 100% responsible for your 5% or 95%.
Ezra cries out to the Lord for mercy, and humbly accepts the will of God, whatever it may be.
That’s what we need to do. Come to God in humility, ask for forgiveness, and accept the consequences of our choices.
Doing so is better than hiding it. That never works out.
Looking Unto Jesus 