Don't Give In....Let God Help You Wait

Ezekiel 40:2-4 -  In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.    And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed;  and he stood in the gate.   And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall show thee;  for to the intent that I might show them unto thee art thou brought hither:  declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.  

 

Twenty-five years into the exile of God’s people….God gave Ezekiel a precious vision.  He took him to a high mountain and let him see a man sitting in front of the Temple gate…glowing like bronze…carrying measuring instruments in his hands.  They walked among the passageways and rooms of a beautiful Temple…and Ezekiel was told to listen carefully to measurement after measurement of the rooms and passageways that they walked….so he could tell the people what he saw.

 

Theologians debate the meaning of this vision…but perhaps the simplest of theories for me is that God wanted to give these people who lived through a horrific time new hope. Their last memory was of a Temple destroyed…rubble laying on the ground as they were carried away. Perhaps the copious measurements of the Temple he saw in his vision was meant to give them a tangible picture in their heart and mind to cling to in the last days before their release.

 

We tend to allow our flesh to give in just before the hardest times have passed.  I sure can’t count on my fingers and toes the number of times that I have given up and I am sure missed a huge blessing at the end of my wait. But one of my dreams…to move back home and retire…is still in a huge waiting pattern.  I am sure in my heart that God has said yes…but I find myself waiting longer than I thought to see the blessing at the end of this dream.  I know that God has a plan…and it will happen….I just have to hold on till he has all the pieces in place to make it happen.

 

I sure needed the reminder this morning as I sit at my mom and dad’s house ….spending some time visiting and preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving 2014.  Every time I come home and look one more time at possible places to setup residence where I grew up….I wonder if this will be the trip that ends my wait. It is the hope  that Ezekiel’s vision gives me that keeps satan from confusing me into giving up this time.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you have a plan to prosper me and give me hope for my future.  Forgive me for letting my resolve grow weak and letting satan trick me into doubting your promises.  Help me to hold long as long as it takes for you to prepare the blessing you have waiting for me.  Amen.

God's Promise Of His Spirit

Ezekiel 39:28-29 - Then they will know that I am the LORD their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind.  I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD."

 

God had a lot to say to this evil king Gog. He gave Ezekiel another whole chapter to record the details of his destruction.  Eighty-five percent of Gog’s army would be destroyed...and after the birds of prey had cleaned up some of the mess….the Israelites would rally teams together to bury the rest. The land would need to be cleansed of all the blood that was shed…so it would not be defiled anymore.

 

From that moment on God was going to begin the promise of restoration.  He was going to end the need for captivity and bless them once again. He made a promise to never turn his face on them again…but to pour out his spirit on them…and make them strong.  God wanted them to know that he held the ultimate power to bring judgment or blessing.

 

He had poured out his spirit on individuals before….the many prophets…Moses…David…and Samson to name just a few.  His spirit descended like a dove on his son…and powered him to give us the most wonderful gift of salvation through the cross. After his resurrection he promised once again to send the spirit…and poured it out on all who attended the great day of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2. If we read a bit further…..verses 17-18 record one more promise for the end days… " 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

 

It is my strong belief that God will pour out more of his spirit as needed until that day arrives.  He pours it into simple people….who are willing to do his work.  The spirit he gives …powers us with no special skills…to do whatever he asks of us. I feel his spirit strong when I am singing….or worshiping…or writing…or reading his word…or praying.  It gives me strength…comfort…joy to know that no matter what that spirit will always be available to lift me out of the stall patterns life sometimes weighs me down with.

 

Father...I thank you for the reminder that your spirit is always available to me.  Thank you for the precious gift that made it possible for all who believe to experience the deep comfort and power that your spirit gives.  Forgive me for the times that I wallow for times in pity and loneliness before I remember to call on you to fill me up with enough spirit to lift me up again.  Help me to keep a dose of spirit level in my heart…and not wait till am empty to ask for a fill up again.  Amen

A Peek At The Ending

Ezekiel 38:14-16 - "Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it?  You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, O Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.

 

It is one of the most confusing words from God that Ezekiel must have heard.  Just after he had been told to tell the people to look forward to a time of restoration….he was told to prophecy against the nation that would someday attach them again. The evil Gog and Magog would be destroyed in the end…but would be used one more time to bring judgment on people that just couldn’t seem to stop good times from puffing them up and wandering away from God time after time.

 

It is discussed again in just a few verses of revelation 20.  Verses 7-10 say… “ When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison  and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth--Gog and Magog--to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore.  They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.  And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

 

Perhaps it was just God’s way of giving us a glimpse of the big picture…the ending. I like to think that Satan will be tricked into a false confidence…and rally one last time before God places him in his permanent domain forever. Then no evil will ever be allowed to control any of God’s created Earth…peace will reign forever.

 

For me…it is a reminder that until that time…satan will roam and try to trick as many of us as he can into joining his side.  We must constantly be wary of falling too far away from God as the Israelites did so many times.  Only the ones that stay committed and accept the hardships and persecution that sometimes comes with following him will last till the end. I sure needed the reminder...and will need it again because the flesh in our bodies is drawn toward what satan makes look like the easy way naturally.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that evil is always out there looking for a way into my heart.  Forgive me for the times that I allow my flesh to win out…and let satan trick me. Help me to lift my face towards your love and sweet mercy and call out for new strength to be more committed to your commands.  Help me be strong and recognize when satan is trying to trick me so I can tell him to take a hike the next time.  Amen.

God Can Restore The Driest ....And Oldest Of Bones

Ezekiel 37:12-14 - Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.  I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.' "

 

Ezekiel was carried to a valley full of old….dead…scatter bones in a vivid vision. God told him to tell them to get up and live. He watched as the bones gathered themselves into the skeletons they had once been…grew muscles and tendons….covered themselves with flesh…and stood before him. Then he watched as God breathed life into them and they became a vast army.

 

It was God’s visual way of showing Ezekiel just how easy it was for him to restore the dead…dried up spirits and bones of the Israelites that had been oppressed for so long.  Even though they had been worshiping the idols of their oppressors…God was still able to bring them back to life with him. He was even going to join the two split nations of Judah and Israel back together in the process.

 

God gives us his very spirit when he enters our heart for the first time.  He breathes life into what was once lost…and begins to rearrange our dry bones to fit the will he has planned out for our life that remains.  I like to think of that spirit as a great fire inside us…that we can feed with prayer… Bible study…worship…and faithful works.  But if we begin to leave out one of these important elements that feed our spirts…or turn to others for our comfort and strength…then our fire dwindles…and becomes a coal that grows colder and colder….eventually killing the relationship we once had with God.

 

It gives me such hope to know that God can take the fire that I sometimes let grow to cool…and heat it back up again.  Once I recognize how cool I have let it become…I can return to him and admit my sin so he can relight the passion I once had to pray and study and worship. He can breathe new spirt into my heart…and set me back on the right path. 

 

Father…thank you for reminding me that no matter how cold my heart becomes…and how dry I let my old bones become…you are just a cry away.  Forgive me for the times that I have let pity….loneliness…pride…and involvement in the world’s ways allow the fire you placed inside me when I was 14 become cool coals.  Breathe new spirit into me this morning…and fan that flame back to its once burning passion to do all I can to increase the numbers who believe and trust in you.  Amen.

Fire...A Great Tool Of God's Restoration

Ezekiel 36:25-28 - I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.  You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God.

 

Ezekiel had another word for the people who had survived the wrath and punishment of God. Their lives had been through a seep valley of turmoil and hurts from the nations around them. But God wanted them to know that there was a time coming when they would be restored.  And it would be a time that exceeded any prosperous period they had ever known.

 

God was going to punish the people who he had used to teach his people who was in charge.  All the nations that had ever made fun of or mistreated the people of God would suffer destruction.  It would be complete and empty the vast land that God had once given to Abraham to raie the great nation of Israel.

 

God’s restoration is like no other feeling in the world.  He breaks us down and empties us completely of all the things that do not help us develop a complete relationship with God. Then he begins to fill us up with his love and disposition. We feel like we are going through a fire that will completely destroy us…but the coat of his love and mercy is like the seed coat of the great red wood trees of California.  They protect it from the fire that burns just enough of the protective coat off…so it can germinate into one of the tallest….grandest trees God created. 

 

God hid more wisdom in the fires of the sequoia forests than we sometimes think about.  The fire that burns that seed coat off is doing way more than just germinating a seed.  Fire in these forests also prepare the seedbed by burning the older trees and taking away weeds and unneeded brush where they need to grow.  The fire cycles the nutrients the trees need to grow.  It sets back succession in certain relatively small areas of the forest.  It provides conditions which favor wildlife.  It provides a mosaic of age classes and vegetation types. It reduces numbers of trees susceptible to attack by insects and disease and reduces fire hazards for the future.

 

I am pretty sure this process is the same in the Christian who follows James 4:7-10 …. “ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.  My fires were the most painful things I have ever endured…but the key here is that I am still here. My seed coat was burnt beyond my human capabilities to repair….but God knew exactly what he was doing. He was preparing the ground around me to get rid of my weeds and unwanted sins.  He was making the ground around me more fertile…so I could grow as fast and as strong as he needs me to be.  He was teaching me to come to him in pray and study his Bible. He was giving mime a new heart that would be less worried and bothered by the evil world around me.

 

I know this one is longer than I usually write…so bear with me for one more thought. I know that he is not through burning my seed coat off yet. I may even need another fire to help him teach me how to rid selfishness and pride completely from my life. I admit that I still need to work on my humility.

 

Father…thank you for the fresh tears of conviction that wash over me this morning. Thank you for all the fires that you have sent…for even those they caused great pain…they have taught me much more about you than I would have learned without them.  Help me to use the space you created by taking out some of the bad in my life to let you rebuild love in its place.  Amen.

Let God's Love Power You Through The Evil Around You

Ezekiel 35:13-15 - You boasted against me and spoke against me without restraint, and I heard it. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate.  Because you rejoiced when the inheritance of the house of Israel became desolate, that is how I will treat you. You will be desolate, O Mount Seir, you and all of Edom. Then they will know that I am the LORD.' "

 

God gave Ezekiel a word for the people of Edom. They had bragged too many times about hating God’s people…he was going to give them a dose of their own behavior. The mountains…the land…and all the people residing in it would be destroyed. The things they prided in the most…the objects they thought gave them strength would be destroyed.

 

It is one more reminder to me that evil is not a permanent fixture in God’s earth.  All those that gloat openly that Jehovah is not real…boast in other gods….or take advantage of anyone who has given their heart to God…will perish in the end.  The details are scattered throughout the book of revelation.

 

It gives me a sort of pride and confidence to know that my choice to worship God is right. It is a secret source of strength….and helps me to smile with love when I am faced with some evil personally. It must be the same way that Paul felt when he wrote 2 Corinthians 12:10…. “That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  How else could he muster the strength and positive emotions to sing hymns at midnight….while shackled in prison.

 

I admit that I needed the reminder this morning…for I do not always remember to smile and think of this great strength.  I allow my human flesh to gripe and complain way more than I remember to smile.  Oh how I need to remember how that will weaken me….and use the power of that love God placed inside of me instead.

 

 

Father…..thank you for the reminder to use your strength and power to overcome any evil I am confronted with in this world.  Forgive me for the times that I allow my flesh to win.  Help me to power my day with your love …and keep that smile in place…no matter what satan throws in my path as an obstacle.  Amen.

Strengthen....Exhort...Edify

Ezekiel 34:25-27 - " 'I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of wild beasts so that they may live in the desert and sleep in the forests in safety.  I will bless them and the places surrounding my hill. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing.  The trees of the field will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the LORD, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them.

 

God was angry at the leaders he had left to shepherd the people.  They had become greedy and selfish.  They were looking out for number one and had let God’s people starve…become ill…lose their way completely.  What was worse is that they did not see the problem in taking the best food and letting everyone else fend for themselves. They thought that their leadership position gave them some special rights.

 

They were right about one thing…their leadership position did give them special rights…but they had the rights completely backward. Shepherds are called to strengthen…to edify….to exhort those that they are called to lead. The resources that God had sent their way were meant to build up his people…not keep a select few in wealth and full stomachs.

 

It’s a reminder to me to always share what God has given me with others. I Corinthians 13 has the details of how to do that.  We are to be patient and kind…and giving. We are not to demand our own way…but sacrifice for others. Love is an action word…it is not meant to be hoarded or kept in a safe for later use. Love gives of its best…and doesn’t just leave their leftovers in boxes outside the goodwill store.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to share. Forgive me for the times that I have been selfish and only given to make myself feel better…or to get rid of the things I didn’t want anymore. Help me to use the resources and blessings that you have poured into my life to help others. Help me hear your voice and know exactly what and when to give to others in need. Amen.

God Always Offers Hope And Restoration

Ezekiel 33:11-12 -  Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?'  "Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, 'The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.'

 

Ezekiel was given a word for the people of Judah. Ezekiel was finally able to preach hope and restoration to the people of Judah. God wanted them to know the truth of his heart…he took no pleasure in the destruction that was happening around them.  His will was that all come to follow him and live righteous lives…but evil would not be tolerated forever.  Evil men would die.

 

God is clear here…it is not our righteousness that saves us….it is our belief in a mighty God who sent his son to die for all our sins. All that God requires is for us to turn from any sins we were committing…and begin to let his love power us to do good in the world. No amount of good works will save us if they happen apart from a belief in God.

 

God is also clear that no sin is too great to be purged from the heart of one who turns from that sin and begins a life with God.  His sin is washed clean as the whitest snow and then God dries them in his love. The need and drive to do evil is replaced with a passion to do good.

 

It is a reminder to me to remember that no matter what a person has done…they can still become a child of God.  It is also a reminder that I must be careful to guard my heart from sin…and constantly ask God to clean me up and dry me off with a fresh towel of love.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that your love can overcome the darkest evil. Forgive me for the times that I have judged evil instead of offering it your hope of cleansing and freedom. Wash me new this morning of all the sin in my life …and power me to do the things that you have planned for me to help you spread love to all. Amen.

Death Holds No Future Apart From God

Ezekiel 32:12-15 -   I will cause your hordes to fall by the swords of mighty men-- the most ruthless of all nations. They will shatter the pride of Egypt, and all her hordes will be overthrown.  I will destroy all her cattle from beside abundant waters no longer to be stirred by the foot of man or muddied by the hoofs of cattle.  Then I will let her waters settle and make her streams flow like oil, declares the Sovereign LORD.  When I make Egypt desolate and strip the land of everything in it, when I strike down all who live there, then they will know that I am the LORD.'

 

God just kept adding details to the message of destruction he gave to Ezekiel concerning Egypt. Death would come….and it would bring nothing good for anyone involved. The sight of it would make anyone who was left alive to tremble and realize that God alone was sovereign.  God told Ezekiel to weep for all the lives that had chosen not to follow God and would be left forever in what was called ‘the nether world.’

 

It is a great reminder to me that death holds no future apart from belief in God. Jesus came and did away with the holding tank the Jews called the nether world.  His sacrifice on the cross of a perfect life conquered death and he rose victorious to give all of us an opportunity to join him.  All we have to do is believe….just like the thief that hung next to him on the cross.

 

Father...thank you for the gift you gave me in Jesus. Thank you for making a way for me to have the opportunity to live with you forever. Forgive me for the times that forget the great sacrifice you made and take my time in the temporary home for granted.  Help me seek ways to be more focused and find ways to share your story so more people will believe.  Amen.

No Nation Is Immune To God's Control

Ezekiel 31:9-11-  I made it beautiful with abundant branches, the envy of all the trees of Eden in the garden of God.  " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because it towered on high, lifting its top above the thick foliage, and because it was proud of its height,  I handed it over to the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside,

 

Ezekiel was given another word for Egypt. God had allowed it to become a strong nation…like a great tree with many branches. Many nations around it depended on it for many of the necessities of life.   But it had become proud…arrogant…and had not given God credit for the many strengths it had. So God was fixing to deliver it to another king….it would fall…and the many branches that were once its strength would be scattered.

 

There was a phrase written in the commentary of my Life Application Bible that struck a deep chord of truth in my soul.  It said that there was no permanence apart from God.  No matter how strong a nation…it will fall apart from God’s care and mercy. Its truth hit me hard….and I found myself thinking about the fact that the strong mighty USA that I call home… is not immune from this truth of God.

 

There is predicted a day in Revelation when all the nations will crumble…and God will establish a new kingdom.  Only those of us that remain faithful to his teachings and believe in God’s ultimate victory over evil will survive to call this place of permanent peace home forever. I am nor scholar of the prophecies of the end….and many of the facts surrounding the end of the world as we know it are confusing at best. But the questions I have about blending heaven and this new kingdom Earth won’t matter.  All that matters is that I keep the faith so I may be a part of it.

 

Father…thank you for reminding me this morning that you will provide permanence to my life if I keep my eyes and heart and soul focused completely on you. Help me always keep in my thoughts that this world you have placed me for a time is not my permanent home. Guard my heart from the pride and arrogance that would give me a false sense of security. Help me to build a relationship with you that will power my heart to keep faithful to you no matter what happens in the future.  Amen.

God Is In Control....Even War Has Its Purpose

Ezekiel 30:1-4 -  The word of the LORD came to me:  "Son of man, prophesy and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: " 'Wail and say, "Alas for that day!"  For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near-- a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.  A sword will come against Egypt, and anguish will come upon Cush. When the slain fall in Egypt, her wealth will be carried away and her foundations torn down.

 

Ezekiel was given a word for the people of Egypt. God was going to use Nebuchadnezzar to bring about his judgment on this people who had berated and caused the Israelites so much pain and suffering. Any nation that had helped them would go down with them. The Israelite’s were given a clear message to never trust anyone who held loyalties to Egypt.

 

God told them to wail and weep for this time of destruction.  God wanted them to feel the deepest loss for the loss of so many people. He wanted them to feel a holy fear for the judgment he was bringing to all the nations that did not choose to believe in him.

 

War and destruction is such a hard situation for all of us to understand. It is easy to forget that God is in control of every action…every injury…every death. We are to weep and wail for the loss of life…for the souls that are ended without a choice to follow God. We are to pray for God to use each minute of every horrible war to work his purposes…to bring about his perfect will for all on earth.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder to spend time weeping for the loss of life and resources that war causes. Help me to not despair…but to trust in your bigger picture….to trust that you are in control and will use each death…each town destroyed….each child orphaned…each family separated….each injured innocent…each injured soldier…to bring about your will here on Earth. Amen.

Praise God In All Things

Ezekiel 29:1-3 -  In the tenth year, in the tenth month on the twelfth day, the word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. Speak to him and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: " 'I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, you great monster lying among your streams. You say, "The Nile is mine; I made it for myself."

 

Ezekiel was given a word for the leader of Egypt.  He had tortured the chosen people of God….but worse than that he had claimed to make and own the river that gave life to his country. God likened him to a great dragon…and said he would drag him out of his watery home and let him die with all the fish from the river he said he had made.

 

It is a great reminder to me to never take credit for anything that materializes in my life.  Job’s great words of praise whisper in my ear from Job 1:21…. “and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." Even in his great sorrow he knew where his strength and power to do anything came from.

 

God wants us to give him glory and praise for everything we do. Some people think I am a little too exuberant sometimes when I shout out praise for a little thing like a copy machine working when I needed it really bad….and perhaps only the teachers that read my blog will understand the depths of my appreciation for a seemingly small thing. But just the process of smiling and telling God thank you lifts me up…gives me a bit more power and strength to go on with my task.

 

I will admit that most days I forget to praise…and I need to permanently stamp Philippians 2:14 somewhere I will see it before I open my mouth.  It says… “Do everything without grumbling or arguing.” The frustration satan tricks me into spirals into some of my worst days because I forget to praise God for anything those days.

 

The hardest times to praise God for me are for the losses in my life. But I will say that the days that I find enough courage and will to thank God for my divorce…and praise him for allowing even one month with my second husband Mitchell before he called him home…those are the days I feel the closest to my God. He does what he promised in Isaiah 40:31…. “ but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

 

Father…thank you for reminding me to stay in a constant mode of praise to you.  Forgive me for the times that I have let my spirit slip into grumbling and complaining. Help me to find a way to stop and praise you for all the things ….good or bad….so you can help me see past the pain in what I think are troubles. Amen

Keep Faith Alive In Your Heart

 

 

Ezekiel 28:25-26 -  " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When I gather the people of Israel from the nations where they have been scattered, I will show myself holy among them in the sight of the nations. Then they will live in their own land, which I gave to my servant Jacob.  They will live there in safety and will build houses and plant vineyards; they will live in safety when I inflict punishment on all their neighbors who maligned them. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God.' "

 

Ezekiel had given one more message to the ruler of Tyre to make sure he knew that he was not a god. God wanted him to know that his wisdom had been a gift from the one true God…and his abuse of this gift had led to the downfall of his city. God’s last words in this chapter were another reminder that the chosen people would one day be gathered together….to live in safety as the children of God.

 

The end of this chapter is a great reminder to me that as bad as the world is …and will become….God has a plan to save his children in the end. He allowed John to have a detailed vision…and even remember it to write it down in Revelation. Most of the details are cloaked with symbolism that keeps us from understanding the full picture….but one thing is sure in my heart.  God will allow Jesus to return to Earth someday…and set up an Earthly Kingdom. It will be a place of safety for all who have been faithful and earned the title ‘child of God.’

 

As hard as it is some days…my job is to keep the faith alive in my heart and never lose hope that God has a future of goodness and prosperity planned for me. I will be honest and tell you that I find myself struggling these days. I make 10 wrong choices for every 2 that are the right one… the ones that keeps me walking the perfect will God has planned for me. The one constant in my life that I know I get right is the reading of my Bible each night…and sitting each morning to write the insight he gives me each morning. Those prayers of honest repentance and requests for God to strengthen and help me to better keep me from falling and struggling more than I do.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I still have much work to do if I am to be called one of your faithful.  Forgive me for allowing the world to weaken my faith…forgive me for letting whatever dark force hold me in a stall pattern of struggle. Help me to use the time I spend with you to renew my passion to serve you and help you to win as many souls to your kingdom as possible.  Put feet and fire to my prayers of repentance and renewal each morning. Let not the prayers I type be empty and routine…just to place words on a page…but allow them to manifest and give me strength to overcome the darkness that tries to hold me down.  Amen.

Guard You Heart With Humility

 

 

Ezekiel 27:1-3 - The word of the LORD came to me:  "Son of man, take up a lament concerning Tyre.  Say to Tyre, situated at the gateway to the sea, merchant of peoples on many coasts, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: " 'You say, O Tyre, "I am perfect in beauty."

 

God had more to say to the people of Tyre.  He wanted them to know that concentrating their focus on the beauty of their city…that bragging about their riches… that letting pride become an idol in their lives was not acceptable.  They thought they were important because of the success and beauty they had achieved.

 

It’s just one more reminder that God does not like pride…especially when it puffs us up and makes us think we are better than others….or what we have collected around us is more beautiful than anyone else’s stuff. Proverbs 16:18 says…pride goeth before a fall. 

 

James takes the problem of pride to another level and reminds us that we do not have a clue what the next hours of our lives hold. It says in James 4:13-16… “Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.

 

God wants our lives to be constantly guarded by humility…and a sense that he is in total control.  He wants us to always maintain a humble dependence on him. If we let pride sneak into our hearts…that humility is damaged….and like a virus in a computer it will eventually control or even shut down our relationship to God.

 

Father… thank you for the reminder that you are in control of my life and know what is best at every moment you allow me life on this earth.  Forgive me for the times that I let pride consume my heart and keep you from controlling my thoughts and actions.  Help me to build a sense of humility that will always guard my heart from attacks of pride.  Help me to live more in this present day and let you do the worrying about my future.  Amen.

Love Past Your Feelings Of Hate Or Pleasure

 

 

Ezekiel 26:15-16 - "This is what the Sovereign LORD says to Tyre: Will not the coastlands tremble at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan and the slaughter takes place in you? Then all the princes of the coast will step down from their thrones and lay aside their robes and take off their embroidered garments. Clothed with terror, they will sit on the ground, trembling every moment, appalled at you.

 

God did not leave out the nation of Tyre when he handed down his judgment of the nations that lived around is people.  They were so pleased with the fall of Judah and the control of the land trade routes that they celebrated a bit too much for God. He poured out his wrath on these who coveted the land he meant for his people…and the city they lived in was completely destroyed…never to be rebuilt ….even to this day.

 

It is another reminder to me to never take pleasure in the downfall of others….even if we think they deserve it. We are never to find any pleasure in others pain….even if we have been hurt or wronged by them. Proverbs 24:17 says… “Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice.”

 

A piece of this story also reminds me that God uses great tragedy in our lives to awaken our need for him. The many rulers around this city realized that God was a force to never reckon with.  They took off their royal robes and mourned publicly for the loss of this place and the many lives that were lost. They felt the true fear of God as they sat with trembling hearts.

 

I understand both too well. Finding forgiveness in a divorce situation is not easy…but finding it powers your heart to love everyone around you more deeply.  Likewise, losing my second husband was not an easy thing ….but because I chose to cling to God…it has led me to a deeper relationship with him.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder to always pray for justice…but never to celebrate when we are honored to see it take place.  Forgive me for the times that I have gloated over justice…and forgotten to pray for the innocent that may have been hurt in the process. I thank you for the short time you allowed with my sweet Mitchell…and all he taught me about the true meaning of love.  Help me to always to be thankful …letting it be a reminder of who you are and that you control everything in my life.  Amen.

Always Use Words Of Love And Compassion

 

 

Ezekiel 25:6-7 -   For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet, rejoicing with all the malice of your heart against the land of Israel,  therefore I will stretch out my hand against you and give you as plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from the nations and exterminate you from the countries. I will destroy you, and you will know that I am the LORD.' "

 

God gave Ezekiel a word for the 7 nations that surrounded the nation of Israel. They too would suffer punishment because of the many things that they had done to scoff and berate God’s chosen people. The Ammonites….the Moabites…the Edomites…and the Phististines had all angered God to the point that he was going to put an end to the issue.

 

The list of sins against God included laughing at or taunting…scoffing or making fun of…finding pleasure in the wickedness around them…racial hatred and feeling joy when the Jews found hard times…or putting them down in any way. God’s punishment ranged from letting the Bedouins take over and capture some of the land…to complete destruction of some of the nations that had never believed in the one true God of the Israelites.

 

It is a vivid reminder to me of how important it is to never let these practices become a part of my own routines of dealing with others around me. Laughing at…taunting….finding joy when anyone is allowed to be brought low in any way…or putting someone down in anyway is not appropriate for someone who has embedded God’s love in their heart. My life should overflow with compassion and mercy…just like Jesus modeled for us during his 33 years on Earth.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder to keep my heart free of behaviors that berate others…whether they are believers or nonbelievers.  Forgive me for the times that I am guilty of some of the behaviors in Ezekiel’s list.  Help me to always search my heart for the compassion and mercy you would want me to use the next time I am tempted to be so callous and cold again. Help me find a way to love through the issues I find with those around me…and model for them your love.  Amen.

Let God Clean Your Pot

 

 

Ezekiel 24:11-13 - Then set the empty pot on the coals till it becomes hot and its copper glows so its impurities may be melted and its deposit burned away.  It has frustrated all efforts; its heavy deposit has not been removed, not even by fire.  " 'Now your impurity is lewdness. Because I tried to cleanse you but you would not be cleansed from your impurity, you will not be clean again until my wrath against you has subsided.

 

Ezekiel was given a parable for the King. He was to act out the parable as an object lesson. The best cuts of mutton were placed in a pot of boiling water.  They were cooked to tender then poured out on the rocks piece by piece. Then the bones were to be burned and the empty pot put back over the hottest coals to clean it….but the rust and impurities would not burn away.

 

It was a vivid picture of the lives of the people the king was in charge of.  God had given them the best of everything…and they had wasted it….used it for evil. God had tried to burn all the evil out from among them….but they were a stubborn…rebellious people….and refused to be changed.

 

It is a reminder to me that when times are tough…God is trying to reveal sin in our lives.  And he isn’t just talking about the obvious sins we already know we should not be involved in.  He is also talking about the hidden sins…the ones we don’t think are a problem. The more righteous we think we have become…the harder it is for God to show us the sin that might be affecting our relationship with him.

 

The people of Israel thought they were protected in the city God had placed them.  But the city became the pot that God used to try and burn the sin from their lives. We are not protected anywhere but wrapped up in God’s arms. And that requires a daily relationship with him that is two way.  It requires the serious study of the Bible he left us…and at least one talk with him in prayer every day.

 

I think of all the dirt that was on the cleaning pad of my Swiffer mop as I clean sometimes.  My bathroom floor was filthy….hairspray has a way of collecting on the vinyl floor and catching everything. I could see the dirt before I mopped.  But the kitchen floor looked clean…I saw no obvious dirt.  But the brand new pad I attached pulled up quite a bit of dark grit that my eyes could not see against the vinyl.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder to keep searching for hidden sins in my life….even though I think I have removed all the ones that keep me from having the deepest relationship I can with you.  Forgive me for letting Bible study become routine…and prayer become short and surface.  Instill in me this morning a new passion to clean the hidden sin from my life so you can use me more effectively to love others. Amen.

The Dangers Of Being Double Minded

 

 

Ezekiel 23:38-39 -  They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary and desecrated my Sabbaths. On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated it. That is what they did in my house.

 

Ezekiel was given a message for the northern and southern kingdoms. He likened them to prostitute sisters who gave themselves away to the nations around them.  They forgot the promise the made to God….and worshiped the idols of any nation they pleased. God had had enough of the two-faced hearts of his choose people….and he told them so in very harsh words.

 

It is inconceivable to me that a parent would believe it was ever okay to sacrifice a child to any god….but they had gotten to that point. And if that was not enough sin…they would go straight to God’s Holy Temple and offer a sacrifice to him too. They believed that they were covering all their bases…just in case one of those gods’ might help them out.

 

They forgot that God is a jealous god and would not allow them to play both sides of the fence.  He required all of their love…and would not share them with anyone.  He said the practice of loving more than one god was just as bad as prostituting themselves to other men when they were promised in marriage to another.

 

It is a reminder to me to be very careful to repent of any sin he exposes in my life before I go to worship him.  I can’t do what I want all week and expect God to look the other way when I go to worship him on Sundays. He let James 4:4 record these words….”You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”  That is pretty clear to me.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that all of my heart must belong to you.  Forgive me for the times that I have let the world seep into my week then expect you to pick up the mess I have caused because I took my eyes off of you for a time.  Help me to stay focused on you …. so the world looks less attractive to my human heart. Help me wake each day with a new resolve to follow you more closely that the day before.  Amen.

Pray For The Leaders Of The World

 

 

Ezekiel 22:6-9 - " 'See how each of the princes of Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood.  In you they have treated father and mother with contempt; in you they have oppressed the alien and mistreated the fatherless and the widow.  You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths.  In you are slanderous men bent on shedding blood; in you are those who eat at the mountain shrines and commit lewd acts.

 

Ezekiel was given a long list of sins that were found among the nation’s people. The list started with the leaders who had misused their power and continued through the entire population of Israelites who had committed many different acts that dishonored the God they promised to worship and love forever. Not one person was found as an example of love and righteousness.  Not one person could God find that had not sinned against him in some way.

 

There was a note in my Life Application Bible that concentrated my thoughts on the need to uplift everyone in prayer around me…especially those that God has allowed to be in leadership positions. I was immediately convicted of my lack of prayers for the great country I am privileged to live in. We are told in James 3 that those called to be leaders are judged more harshly.

 

America can only be as strong as the prayers of its people….and those prayers should start with me. Elections around the nation just decided the leaders of the next few years…I should be actively praying for each one…whether it was my personal choice or not. I should be asking God to bless them and give them wisdom and a heart that will seek to do God’s will in all the matters they must decide.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that my prayers should include a time of intercession for the leaders you have allowed to serve in so many positions around my town and state and country. Forgive me for being so complacent about the needs of these people you have allowed to have such power. Instill in me this morning a need to spend time in fervent prayer for the leaders in my world…that they would have a heart like yours…and always choose the ways that honor your commands.  Amen.

Break My Heart For What Breaks Yours God

 

 

Ezekiel 21:6-7 -  "Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief.  And when they ask you, 'Why are you groaning?' you shall say, 'Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt and every hand go limp; every spirit will become faint and every knee become as weak as water.' It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD."

 

Ezekiel was given the hard task of telling the nation of Israel God was waiting no longer to judge it for its many sins. He told Ezekiel to groan and cry in plain view of the people and show the most broken heart he could. When anyone asked him why he was so broken…he was to tell them about the destruction that was coming. 

 

They would finally believe him…but the irony was that it would be too late. They would finally realize they had been wrong all this time…but all they would be able to do would be to fall to their knees in despair.

 

I will tell you that my mind and heart struggled to see the piece of this story that would help me last night.  I still sit at my computer this morning with little insight and wisdom to offer.  Perhaps I have become too complacent in my life …perhaps I don’t feel the urgency of what might be coming like God told Ezekiel to feel.

 

I know in my heart that God is coming soon…the signs and indicators God left in the Bible all are coming to pass. Perhaps I should feel greater sense of urgency to let others around me know….so it won’t be too late for them. Perhaps the reminder this day is to let go of a little more of my own self and care more about the needs of others.

 

Father….thank you for the reminder that a day is coming when it will be too late to believe in you. Forgive me for spending so much time worrying about my own needs and wants.  Remove the pieces of selfishness that remain on my hearty and keep me from hearing the words you need me to hear…the ones that tell me how to spread the news about your coming. Help me to focus more on the needs of others…so they can experience your love and care before it is too late. Break My Heart For What Breaks Yours God.  Amen.