Re: Verse reading–Ezekiel 20:1-32 (day seven)
“As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me.” (v 3) When the elders of Judah got a “no comment” from the Lord, it must have been a shock. Isn’t God required to listen to us when we are ready to talk? No. Not unless we meet the condition of inner honesty. Not unless we stop living in denial, unwilling to face the long issues negatively impacting our relationship with Him. For years the Lord had warned His people about the effects of idolatry (v 7), disobedience (v 13), and disregard for the Sabbath (v 20). Had they been willing to honestly look at these sinful patterns, the heart of the Lord would have opened to them in mercy. Failing this, only silence. “Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, in the hidden part You will MAKE me know wisdom”–Psalm 51:6. We do not have to be perfect. We do have to be honest.
Tag: Lord
Prone to Wander
Re: Verse reading–Ezekiel 20:1-32 (day two)
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy grace, Lord, like a fetter,
Bind my wand’ring heart to Thee:
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
If reading the account of the people of Israel shows anything it is that we have a penchant to sin, and the God continually shows us grace. No matter how often we are set on a path of blessing and fulfillment, when we get comfortable, we become ungrateful. Our hearts wander from the source of all blessings. There is a just answer to our sin, and that is judgement and death, but God through Jesus has provided for us victory. My prayer today is to not become comfortable in our blessing, but refined by the renewing Grace of God.
Unlearning Old Proverbs
Re: Verse reading–Ezekiel 18:1-18 (Day 6)
“What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: ‘The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?’ As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel.” (vs. 2-3). Ezekiel knew it. When God works in our lives, things change! What we think. What we expect. Even old proverbs (unchallenged and oft quoted statements of truth) are discarded. “God helps those who help themselves” is a modern example. Those of us who have experienced God’s grace would never say it. We are more likely to say, “For by grace you have been saved through faith.” Just as Ezekiel predicted, encountering God teaches us new truths. Old proverbs unlearned, check! New ideas embraced, check!
Responsibility
Re: Verse reading–Ezekiel 18 (Day Three)
“I will judge each of you according to your own ways.” If that is so, are we off the hook for the kind of society we live in? Does the prophet’s declaration of the Lord’s word in fact create a public/private divide so that as long as I remain pure in my behavior, I bear no responsibility addressing what goes on around me? The Pharisees thought so. In truth, though, Ezekiel’s words do nothing of the sort. Because we are responsible for our own sin, the question is not, “Why did my ancestors get us here?” Rather, the question becomes: “What am I going to do about the world in which I live?”
Stubborn and obstinate
Re: Verse reading–Ezekiel 1:28; 2:1-10; 3:1-4 (day six)
“I am sending you to. . . stubborn and obstinate children.” (2:4) It was more verdict than compliment. When God described the people of Judah, He focused on their pride, their resistance to change. I have recently become aware of this same stubbornness in my own life. I am slow to respond to the voice of the Spirit if the direction is not what I want. Unconsciously, habitually, I prefer my will over His, turning to Him as a “last resort”, only when I have tried everything else. Dangerous! The human heart is not naturally soft to the Spirit. Unless I HUMBLE MYSELF, my ego will stay unchallenged and in charge. James describes the painful process. “Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” (James 4:9-10) Repentance from self is the painful grace of God.
God Prepares & Encourages
Re: Verse reading – Ezekiel 1:28-3:4 (day five)
God begins to call/commission Ezekiel into service and ministry. In chapter 1, He “reveals” to Ezekiel His character and nature.
Windstorm (1:4) – Power – God is never helpless.
Throne (1:26) Sovereignty – God always is in control (even in difficult circumstances).
Fire (1:27) Holiness- God judges and punishes sin and disobedience.
Rainbow (1:28) Kindness and Mercy. Even in judgment, God remembers mercy.
Scripture is full of pictures, accounts, and experiences that, if we look and listen, can help us discover and understand more about the character and nature of God. Often times, God will “reveal” parts of His nature and character that will be of great value and insight to the heart of each believer in the midst of circumstances and preceding the future. Looking back, can you see how each one of these pictures Ezekiel sees, encourages and prepares him for the task that lies ahead?
May we be willing to ask God do the same in our hearts. (Scripture, Sermons, Prayer, Worship, Service, and Fellowship) What are you learning about the Lord?
Like a rainbow on a rainy day
Re: Verse reading – Ezekiel 1:28-3:4 (day one)
“As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day. . .so was the glory of the Lord.” (1:28) Was Ezekiel surprised to see it? Maybe. The previous few years had been very discouraging for the people of Judah. They had been conquered and captured and carried away into exile. Ezekiel, himself, had experienced the loss of his youthful dreams. Did he ever ask, “God where are you?” The vision that God gave him provided the answer. God was still sovereign. Nothing had changed. He was seated on the throne, His glorious radiance forming a rainbow of hope. Does God shine this confidence in your heart today? No matter what you are facing, or what disappointments you are called to bear, can you see the Faithful and Glorious One sitting high above your circumstances, His promises still intact? On this morning after Easter, sing with me, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow!”
New Covenant
Re: Verse reading–Jeremiah 31:27-34; 32:1-15 (day six)
” The days are surely coming”, says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel.” (31:31) At the Last Supper, Jesus spoke about “a new covenant in my blood” (1 Corinthians 11:25) It was not the first time the disciples had heard these words. Jeremiah predicted the same thing. He described a new, blessed relationship that would be made possible by the death of the Christ. This new chapter, new arrangement would be marked by 3 things. 1) an inner desire to obey the commands of God-v 33; 2) a personal knowledge of God-v 34; and 3) the forgiveness of sins-v 34 (the basis for the first two). Most of us do not appreciate how fortunate we are to live in this remarkable chapter of salvation history! The Lamb of God has paid the price for sin. Guilt is gone. He is risen. The Spirit has come and gives us a desire to obey. It is the new covenant!
Sow the Seeds
Re: Verse reading–Jeremiah 31:27-34; 32:1-15 (day four)
“Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast. As I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to overthrow, to destroy and to bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the Lord. (verses 27-28) God is involved and in control of all of history. Nothing happened in Israel that was not a part of God’s plan or apart from His permission. When we hear the news today, as believers, we know that God is in authority and control over all of history. It is not at the whim of an earthly ruler, or nation, or ideology. He is still in charge of history. God is in charge of First Baptist San Antonio as well. It is God who will build and plant His church here. May it be our constant prayer that He will sow the house of FBCSA with the seed of man to His glory!
World
Re: Verse reading–Jeremiah 31-32 (day three)
“‘They will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,’ declares the Lord.'” When they saw the future, the prophets didn’t settle for barely scraping by. They saw an entire world transformed. That’s because they served a God who has nothing less in mind than redeeming the entire universe. There is room for refusal on the part of human beings, of course, because God has created us with the ability to say yes or no. But on your most despairing days, will you turn your thoughts to a whole world that will pulse with God’s glory in every fiber of its being? God’s already there, and he gives us a glimpse through the words of the prophets.