Devotional for the day

[Judy Harder]

June 06,  2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers


"Work Out" What God "Works in" You
 
. . . work out your own salvation . . . for it is God who works in you . . . -Philippians 2:12-13


Your will agrees with God, but in your flesh there is a nature that renders you powerless to do what you know you ought to do. When the Lord initially comes in contact with our conscience, the first thing our conscience does is awaken our will, and our will always agrees with God. Yet you say, "But I don't know if my will is in agreement with God." Look to Jesus and you will find that your will and your conscience are in agreement with Him every time. What causes you to say "I will not obey" is something less deep and penetrating than your will. It is perversity or stubbornness, and they are never in agreement with God. The most profound thing in a person is his will, not sin.

The will is the essential element in God's creation of human beings- sin is a perverse nature which entered into people. In someone who has been born again, the source of the will is Almighty God. ". . . for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." With focused attention and great care, you have to "work out" what God "works in" you- not work to accomplish or earn "your own salvation," but work it out so you will exhibit the evidence of a life based with determined, unshakable faith on the complete and perfect redemption of the Lord. As you do this, you do not bring an opposing will up against God's will- God's will is your will. Your natural choices will be in accordance with God's will, and living this life will be as natural as breathing. Stubbornness is an unintelligent barrier, refusing enlightenment and blocking its flow. The only thing to do with this barrier of stubbornness is to blow it up with "dynamite," and the "dynamite" is obedience to the Holy Spirit.

Do I believe that Almighty God is the Source of my will? God not only expects me to do His will, but He is in me to do it.
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Global Harvest

In Mark 16:15 Jesus said,

"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."

In Matthew 13:38 He said,

"The field is the world..."

We need to lift up our eyes upon the harvest field "of the world."

It may sound crazy, but God is expecting us to do something about the salvation of the whole world!

In James chapter five, we are told that God is like a farmer waiting patiently for the precious fruit "of the earth."  The implication there is that the Lord is coming, but there is a great global harvest coming first.

Here are some things you can do to be a part of reaching the world for Christ:

·        Pray - Matthew 9:37-38 says, Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

·        Give - Generously support ministries that are reaching the lost.  Make the mission outreaches of your own church a priority.

·        Go - Jesus' command to go is to all believers.  At the very least, take a short term missions trip to share the Good News with others.

Remember, the only things we will take to heaven with us are the precious souls we have brought to Christ.   
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Read: Ezekiel 8-9; Ezekiel 9:1-6
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. - Psalm 89:14


TODAY IN THE WORD
The Roman Empire believed itself to be "eternal and unconquerable." So when Rome was looted and pillaged by Alaric and an army of 40,000 "barbarians" in A.D. 410, the entire world was shocked. Ancient scholar Jerome stopped work on his Commentary on Ezekiel and wrote to a friend, "The city to which the whole world fell has fallen. If Rome can perish, what can be safe?" Augustine wrote The City of God to argue that Rome's defeat was not the revenge of the "gods" on Christians. God is not tied to any one city or state, he reminded the church. God is sovereign over all nations and deals with them as He pleases. His kingdom is much greater than any earthly empire.
Like the Romans, the Jews believed that Jerusalem and the temple could never fall. They symbolized God's presence and His covenant with His people, so surely He would never let anything happen to them, right? But they had neglected the truth that the covenant came with responsibilities. Their persistent sin presumed upon God's patience and grace and dishonored His holiness. Today's reading gives us further details concerning Israel's idolatry: In chapter 8, Ezekiel was given a vision of the evil going on in Jerusalem at that time. Chapter 9 continues the vision and depicts "six men" (guardian angels of the city) executing judgment on the wicked.

The "idol that provokes to jealousy" (8:3) was likely one of the Canaanite goddess Asherah, placed right in the temple as an open insult to the Lord. That alone was provocation enough! But there was more. Digging into the temple walls-an action showing that nothing is hidden from God's sight-the prophet uncovered the leaders of Israel bowing down before idols. Even his fellow priests were worshiping the sun (8:16)! They had brought judgment on themselves (9:9-10). Even so, God honored the fact that some remained faithful to Him. They received a mark of protection (9:4-6), reminiscent of the blood on the doorposts during the Exodus from Egypt.
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Sin deserves God's judgment. Since all of us are sinners, perfect justice means that all of us deserve death. Thankfully, in the gift of His Son Jesus Christ, God has provided a way by which we need not reap what we have sown. It's because Jesus reaped the judgment on our behalf, paying for our sins by His death and offering us life through His resurrection. He is our "mark of protection." "By believing [we] may have life in his name" (John 20:31).


GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

June 07,  2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

 
The Greatest Source of Power

Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do . . . -John 14:13


Am I fulfilling this ministry of intercession deep within the hidden recesses of my life? There is no trap nor any danger at all of being deceived or of showing pride in true intercession. It is a hidden ministry that brings forth fruit through which the Father is glorified. Am I allowing my spiritual life to waste away, or am I focused, bringing everything to one central point- the atonement of my Lord? Is Jesus Christ more and more dominating every interest of my life? If the central point, or the most powerful influence, of my life is the atonement of the Lord, then every aspect of my life will bear fruit for Him.

However, I must take the time to realize what this central point of power is. Am I willing to give one minute out of every hour to concentrate on it? "If you abide in Me . . . "- that is, if you continue to act, and think, and work from that central point- "you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you" ( John 15:7  ). Am I abiding? Am I taking the time to abide? What is the greatest source of power in my life? Is it my work, service, and sacrifice for others, or is it my striving to work for God? It should be none of these- what ought to exert the greatest power in my life is the atonement of the Lord. It is not on what we spend the greatest amount of time that molds us the most, but whatever exerts the most power over us. We must make a determination to limit and concentrate our desires and interests on the atonement by the Cross of Christ.

"Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do . . . ." The disciple who abides in Jesus is the will of God, and what appears to be his free choices are actually God's foreordained decrees. Is this mysterious? Does it appear to contradict sound logic or seem totally absurd? Yes, but what a glorious truth it is to a saint of God.
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Two Voices that Cry Out

Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire.  You have heaped up treasure in the last days.  Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth (James 5:3-4).

These words are written to believers, to Christians who are hoarding up wealth rather than giving to support the spread of the gospel.

The reapers in verse 4 are those preaching and working out in the harvest fields of the world.  Notice it says that the Lord has heard their cry.  But if you read carefully, you will find that another cry has entered the Lord's ears as well.

"The wages" of the laborers cry out to God as well!  The tithes and offerings that have been withheld cry out.  Monies that should have been sown into the cause of Christ are raising their voices in a mighty chorus to heaven!

Large amounts of undesignated and unused funds that sit in bank vaults cry out.  Funds God has graciously given to His people that have been withheld from their purpose-to bring a living Jesus to a dying world-cry out and cry out and cry out!

Are you sitting on a talking wallet today?  Is your purse crying out to God?  If you could hear their voice, what would they cry?  "China!  Europe!  Africa!  The Middle East!"??

Are you generously supporting the work of your own local church?  Do not let your money testify against you!  Give where, when, and how much God directs- consistently-into the work of His Kingdom.

If the precious fruit of the earth is going to be reaped, we have to support those who labor in the field.   
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Read: Ezekiel 10-11; Ezekiel 11:16-23
Then the glory of the LORD departed from over the threshold of the temple. - Ezekiel 10:18

TODAY IN THE WORD
While a Chinese couple slept, their three-year-old daughter was busy. She found her mother's purse and about $1,100 in cash. She played with the money and ended up throwing the bills out the window of their family's 17th-floor apartment in Shenzhen, China. A restaurant owner on the first floor later told the mother that people had gladly grabbed the money as it rained down from the sky. "We're now hoping for magic, and that the people with our money will bring it back," she said. In the meantime, they've put wire mesh on the windows.
In the same way that this Chinese family's financial treasure went out the window, the true treasure of Israel, God's presence, departed from the temple in today's reading. The message of judgment against Israel's sin that has been building since chapter 4 reaches a climax. God's glory had begun to leave even in yesterday's reading (9:3), because He refused to share His temple with false gods. His presence would not remainwith idolaters and covenant-breakers. Even more painfully, from Ezekiel's perspective, the departure wasn't abstract or vague, but a highly visible and purposeful exit by the same heavenly throne, cherubim, and wheels he had seen in his original vision of heaven. God's absence is the ultimate punishment! The coals scattered on the city indicate judgment by fire, as well as hinting at fire's purifying effects.

Following the departure of God's glory in chapter 10, Israel's leaders were again condemned in chapter 11. The image of the pot and meat (11:3) indicates that they were proud, considering themselves "choice cuts." Since they hadn't been exiled with Ezekiel's group, they thought they were safe. God reversed their metaphor and let them know that despite their attempts to devour Jerusalem's meat-that is, to use their power for selfish gain (11:7)-He was going to "turn up the heat" and their goose was cooked (11:11)! They were oblivious to the scales of God's justice and would pay the price.
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
God's glory had departed. If ever there were a time for despair, this was it. But God is faithful to give hope to His people, even when they are undergoing deserved discipline or punishment. Ezekiel was glad to prophesy that judgment was not the end of the story. A day would come when God would gather His people and "give them an undivided heart" (11:19). Hearts of stone would be transformed into hearts of flesh. Even now, God Himself would be their "sanctuary" in exile (11:16).

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

June 08,  2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

What's Next To Do?
If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them -John 13:17

Be determined to know more than others. If you yourself do not cut the lines that tie you to the dock, God will have to use a storm to sever them and to send you out to sea. Put everything in your life afloat upon God, going out to sea on the great swelling tide of His purpose, and your eyes will be opened. If you believe in Jesus, you are not to spend all your time in the calm waters just inside the harbor, full of joy, but always tied to the dock. You have to get out past the harbor into the great depths of God, and begin to know things for yourself- begin to have spiritual discernment.

When you know that you should do something and you do it, immediately you know more. Examine where you have become sluggish, where you began losing interest spiritually, and you will find that it goes back to a point where you did not do something you knew you should do. You did not do it because there seemed to be no immediate call to do it. But now you have no insight or discernment, and at a time of crisis you are spiritually distracted instead of spiritually self-controlled. It is a dangerous thing to refuse to continue learning and knowing more.

The counterfeit of obedience is a state of mind in which you create your own opportunities to sacrifice yourself, and your zeal and enthusiasm are mistaken for discernment. It is easier to sacrifice yourself than to fulfill your spiritual destiny, which is stated in Romans 12:1-2. It is much better to fulfill the purpose of God in your life by discerning His will than it is to perform great acts of self-sacrifice. "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice . . ." ( 1 Samuel 15:22 ). Beware of paying attention or going back to what you once were, when God wants you to be something that you have never been. "If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know . . ." ( John 7:17  ).
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A Prosperous Attitude

In our previous devotional, we learned that God is pleased to bless us.  But that prosperity must be accompanied by a special attitude...an attitude that is captured in 1 Kings 3.

This passage records God's appearance to Solomon in a dream at Gibeon.  In the dream God said to Solomon, "Ask!  What shall I give you?"

What an incredible statement, and question!  Equally incredible is Solomon's response, which revealed the attitude of his heart, the attitude which must accompany our prosperity.  That response is captured in verses 7-10,

"Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.  And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.  Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil.  For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?"  The speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.

God is pleased when, in our hearts, we put others before ourselves.  God delights in prospering us when prosperity is not our chief aim.  When we get it right, and in our hearts we do place others before ourselves, God can bless us beyond our wildest dreams.

God will give you everything you need to fulfill His plan for your life. He will give you richly all things to enjoy, as long as you have a prosperous attitude that puts His plans and His people first.
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Read: Ezekiel 12; Ezekiel 12:21-28
None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign LORD. - Ezekiel 12:28

TODAY IN THE WORD
Some Native American peoples have revived an ancient penalty for wrongdoing-exile or banishment from the tribe. Faced with serious and persistent problems of crime, alcoholism, and drug abuse, tribal councils have in some cases chosen this extreme response in order to try to improve their societies. Critics see exile or banishment as an excessive punishment, but some tribal leaders believe it reflects a traditional Native American emphasis on community. "We need to go back to our old ways," one told the New York Times. "We had to say enough is enough."
God also said, "enough is enough," and planned to punish His people Israel with defeat and exile. The wicked leaders in Ezekiel 11 felt safe because they weren't in the first group exiled, but divine justice would catch up with them. People have an amazing capacity for self-deception. Even the exiles listening to Ezekiel's prophecies wanted to believe that the destruction of Jerusalem and God's judgment were in the distant future, not close at hand (v. 27). Despite the pervasive idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness, despite the partial judgment already executed, and despite many prophetic messages, the people were unwilling to heed these warnings and repent (v. 1).

So God commanded Ezekiel to perform two symbolic actions. First, he was to pack his things as if for a sudden trip, then to dig through his house wall as if trying to escape. This turned out to be a specific oracle about what was going to happen to King Zedekiah (see 2 Kings 25 for the prophecy's fulfillment). Second, he was to eat and drink while displaying fear and anxiety, as if disaster were imminent, because it was. God promised to destroy the popular saying "Every vision comes to nothing" with His word that "Every vision will be fulfilled" (vv. 22-23). Sin deserves punishment. Worship is serious business. God will not be mocked. In judgment, the people would learn that He alone is the Lord (v. 15).
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Some people treat the return of Christ like the Israelites treated God's warnings of judgment (Matt. 24:37-44; 2 Peter 3:3-10). They think either it can't happen soon or it won't happen at all. They doubt God can or will keep His promises. They scoff at the notion of judgment on sin. But Jesus said He would come like a thief in the night: "So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him" (Matt. 24:44).

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

June 09,  2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

Then What's Next To Do?
Everyone who asks receives . . . -Luke 11:10

Ask if you have not received. There is nothing more difficult than asking. We will have yearnings and desires for certain things, and even suffer as a result of their going unfulfilled, but not until we are at the limit of desperation will we ask. It is the sense of not being spiritually real that causes us to ask. Have you ever asked out of the depths of your total insufficiency and poverty? "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God . . . " ( James 1:5  ), but be sure that you do lack wisdom before you ask. You cannot bring yourself to the point of spiritual reality anytime you choose. The best thing to do, once you realize you are not spiritually real, is to ask God for the Holy Spirit, basing your request on the promise of Jesus Christ (see Luke 11:13 ). The Holy Spirit is the one who makes everything that Jesus did for you real in your life.

"Everyone who asks receives . . . ." This does not mean that you will not get if you do not ask, but it means that until you come to the point of asking, you will not receive from God (seeMatthew 5:45  ). To be able to receive means that you have to come into the relationship of a child of God, and then you comprehend and appreciate mentally, morally, and with spiritual understanding, that these things come from God.

"If any of you lacks wisdom . . . ." If you realize that you are lacking, it is because you have come in contact with spiritual reality- do not put the blinders of reason on again. The word ask actually means "beg." Some people are poor enough to be interested in their poverty, and some of us are poor enough spiritually to show our interest. Yet we will never receive if we ask with a certain result in mind, because we are asking out of our lust, not out of our poverty. A pauper does not ask out of any reason other than the completely hopeless and painful condition of his poverty. He is not ashamed to beg- blessed are the paupers in spirit (see Matthew 5:3  ).
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Fitting into God's "Foolishness"

In 1 Corinthians 1:21, Paul gives us an interesting insight into how you and I please God.

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

God's methods are astounding.  To bring men and women into His family through the foolishness of preaching!  When people hear the gospel preached and believe it, God is pleased.

Now how is the gospel preached?  Through your life and mine.  Every one of us has been entrusted by God with some gift to communicate the gospel.  Perhaps you have been entrusted by God with unusual wealth.  Or maybe a marvelous singing voice, or the ability to communicate, or perhaps the skill to assimilate facts.

Whatever it is, God has put something in each of us that somehow fits into His great master plan of winning this lost world to Jesus Christ.

God has chosen to use these weak, fallible vessels to share the simple gospel message that the world is separated from Him because of sin.  In His mercy, God reached down to the human race when He sent His own Son, Who willingly gave up His life on the cross and died for our sins.  The price was paid.  God's eternal justice was satisfied.  And the Holy Spirit raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

That is the message our world so desperately needs to hear today!  God is pleased when you share that "foolishness."  So however God has gifted you, use that gift today to present a living Jesus to our dying world!
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Read: Ezekiel 13-14; Ezekiel 14:1-6
Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices! - Ezekiel 14:6

TODAY IN THE WORD
Most Americans are familiar with the episode about whitewashing the fence in Mark Twain's famous book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. In order to get out of doing a hated chore, young Tom persuaded his gullible friends that whitewashing the fence was a great privilege . . . but one that he was willing to part with for a price. In the end, most of the job was done by others and he ended up with his pockets full of his friends' stuff.
In today's reading, the false prophets' whitewashing couldn't hide the nation's moral filth. These two chapters are renewed indictments of Israel's sin, warnings of judgment, and a call to repent.

Chapter 13 deals with false prophets while chapter 14 condemns idolaters. We know from chapter 12 that the false prophets told people judgment wouldn't happen. Here they were described as foolish, blind, liars, and jackals. They were motivated by greed and mixed up with witchcraft and the occult. They spoke words concocted by their prideful imaginations rather than messages revealed by God. They were so self-deceived that they actually thought their words would come true (13:6). But to misrepresent the Lord is to profane His name-His wrath would come down on them like a terrible storm.

Idolaters were somewhat less obvious, especially those who did not openly worship pagan gods but instead set up idols in their hearts (14:4). Leaders were doing the right things externally, but internally they were not cultivating attitudes of faithfulness and obedience. They had divided hearts (see Ezek. 11:19). Judgment on such people was certain (14:12-23). The message is phrased in dramatic if/then conditional statements, but the "if" is rhetorical; that is, it was sure to happen. Israel's heritage of righteousness, as seen in the lives of Noah, Daniel (who may be the biblical Daniel, Ezekiel's contemporary), and Job, did not give the nation a free pass. A remnant would be saved, and God's justice and mercy would prevail.
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Like the people of Israel, we sometimes ignore the Holy Spirit's conviction of sin in our lives. We rationalize wrongdoing. We believe past good actions will somehow save us from the consequences of current sinful behavior. We neglect the many opportunities God gives us to hear the truth, come to our senses, confess our sins, and turn back to Him. If this is the burden of your heart today, heed the words of Ezekiel: "Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!" (14:6).

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

June 10,  2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers
   
And After That What's Next To Do?
. . seek, and you will find . . . -Luke 11:9

Seek if you have not found. "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss . . ." ( James 4:3  ). If you ask for things from life instead of from God, "you ask amiss"; that is, you ask out of your desire for self-fulfillment. The more you fulfill yourself the less you will seek God. ". . . seek, and you will find . . . ." Get to work- narrow your focus and interests to this one thing. Have you ever sought God with your whole heart, or have you simply given Him a feeble cry after some emotionally painful experience? ". . . seek, [focus,] and you will find . . . ."

"Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. . ." (Isaiah 55:1  ). Are you thirsty, or complacent and indifferent- so satisfied with your own experience that you want nothing more of God? Experience is a doorway, not a final goal. Beware of building your faith on experience, or your life will not ring true and will only sound the note of a critical spirit. Remember that you can never give another person what you have found, but you can cause him to have a desire for it.

". . . knock, and it will be opened to you" ( Luke 11:9 ). "Draw near to God . . ." ( James 4:8 ). Knock- the door is closed, and your heartbeat races as you knock. "Cleanse your hands . . ." ( James 4:8 ). Knock a bit louder- you begin to find that you are dirty. ". . . purify your hearts . . ." ( James 4:8 ). It is becoming even more personal- you are desperate and serious now- you will do anything. "Lament . . . " ( James 4:9 ). Have you ever lamented, expressing your sorrow before God for the condition of your inner life? There is no thread of self-pity left, only the heart-rending difficulty and amazement which comes from seeing what kind of person you really are. "Humble yourselves . . . " (James 4:10 ). It is a humbling experience to knock at God's door- you have to knock with the crucified thief. ". . . to him who knocks it will be opened" ( Luke 11:10  ).
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Pleasing God...Even in Your Sorrow

In Psalm 69, David shares his innermost thoughts as he cries out to God, afflicted, sorrowful, beaten down, and distressed.  David felt like he was sinking in floodwaters, caught in the quicksand of difficulties.

If you are like me, I am sure you have been there too.  In fact, you may feel like you are there right now.  Floodwaters of trouble have come into your life.  You are treading water, and it seems like you are about to go down for the third time.

For most of us, our response is to get down and depressed, to feel sorry for ourselves.  And to hope we will receive comfort and encouragement from those around us.

David's reaction was different. And a model for how we should respond to those times of sorrow and trouble in a way that pleases God.  In verses 30 and 31 of Psalm 69 he states,

I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.  This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bull.

You know, anyone can sing when the sun is shining.  It is easy to praise God and shout the victory when things are going your way.  But to praise God when the chips are down...that brings pleasure to God.

To worship God, to magnify Him and to thank Him even when it looks like you are not going to make it, that pleases the heart of God.  It shows Him something about you.  It demonstrates that you have faith in Him, and it opens a way for Him to work in your life.

If your life feels full of sorrow and trouble, begin to praise God, and watch God work!
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Read: Ezekiel 15-16; Ezekiel 15:1-8
I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine. - Ezekiel 16:8


TODAY IN THE WORD
Fiddler crab females are not easy to please. When they search for a mate, they may audition 100 or more males before finally selecting one. A research team in southern California studied these picky crabs and described how the males stand in front of their burrows and wave to attract a female's attention. The movement of their front claws looks much like a human "come here" gesture. The male crab's burrow must be exactly the right size for the female to lay her eggs, or she moves on to the next potential mate.
Israel is pictured in today's reading as an adulterous wife (chapter 16) as well as a barren vine (chapter 15; see also Ps. 80:8-16). A barren vine is good for nothing. It cannot be used to make even trivial items such as pegs to hang things on. It is fit only to become kindling for the fire. In the same way, the fire of God's judgment will consume the nation because the people had been unfaithful (15:7-8).

The story of the adulterous wife has the same point: The nation's apostasy ignored God's love and doubted His justice, and therefore judgment would come. At the start, Israel was like an abandoned baby-unloved and helpless. The Lord rescued and redeemed her, and with His love and protection she grew up to be a beautiful woman.

Then came the wedding day, the formal inauguration of a covenant relationship (16:8-14). Tragically, this lovely bride chose the path of prostitution. She took the very gifts God had given her to build high places and altars to idols. She ignored prophetic warnings and pursued perverse promiscuity in worse and worse ways, so that even the godless were shocked by her depravity. God had been very patient, but sin earns His wrath and so a day of judgment was coming (16:35-43). Despite everything, the Lord never stopped loving His people and would one day atone for their sins and restore the covenant (16:60-63).
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Reading the allegory of Ezekiel 16, we might feel amazed. How could Israel spurn and wound the One who loved them so much? Yet at times we as believers are guilty of the same behavior. If we desire to be fruitful rather than barren vines, we have only one hope-to abide in Christ, the true Vine (John 15:1-8). Only through His spiritual life and strength can we live lives that please the Lord. Only by remaining in Christ can our words and actions bring glory to God.

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

June 11,  2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

Getting There (1)
Come to Me . . . -Matthew 11:28

Where sin and sorrow stops, and the song of the saint starts. Do I really want to get there? I can right now. The questions that truly matter in life are remarkably few, and they are all answered by these words- "Come to Me." Our Lord's words are not, "Do this, or don't do that," but- "Come to me." If I will simply come to Jesus, my real life will be brought into harmony with my real desires. I will actually cease from sin, and will find the song of the Lord beginning in my life.

Have you ever come to Jesus? Look at the stubbornness of your heart. You would rather do anything than this one simple childlike thing- "Come to Me." If you really want to experience ceasing from sin, you must come to Jesus.

Jesus Christ makes Himself the test to determine your genuineness. Look how He used the word come. At the most unexpected moments in your life there is this whisper of the Lord- "Come to Me," and you are immediately drawn to Him. Personal contact with Jesus changes everything. Be "foolish" enough to come and commit yourself to what He says. The attitude necessary for you to come to Him is one where your will has made the determination to let go of everything and deliberately commit it all to Him.

". . . and I will give you rest"- that is, "I will sustain you, causing you to stand firm." He is not saying, "I will put you to bed, hold your hand, and sing you to sleep." But, in essence, He is saying, "I will get you out of bed- out of your listlessness and exhaustion, and out of your condition of being half dead while you are still alive. I will penetrate you with the spirit of life, and you will be sustained by the perfection of vital activity." Yet we become so weak and pitiful and talk about "suffering" the will of the Lord! Where is the majestic vitality and the power of the Son of God in that?
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Fearing God
In Psalm 147:10-11, David gives us insight into two things that please God-two things that may seem disconnected from each other. 

He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.  The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy.

First, God delights in those who fear Him, those who have a reverential respect and awe for Him.  Second, God is pleased with those who hope in His mercy.

In today's devotional, I want to focus on what it means to truly fear God.  And, in tomorrow's devotional, we will look at what it means to hope in mercy, and how these two are connected.

Scripture constantly admonishes us to fear God.  But how do you do that?  I believe the Bible gives us at least four ways:

Through a hatred of evil.  Proverbs 8:13 says, The fear of the Lord is to hate evil.
Through radical obedience.  To fear the Lord means to radically obey Him, as Abraham did in Genesis 22 when he was willing to sacrifice his son.
With an awareness that God is always watching you.  Scripture makes it clear there is nowhere you can go that God does not see.
With the knowledge that one day you will have to stand before God as your Judge.  Jesus even tells us that one day, when we stand before Him, we will have to give an account of every idle word we have spoken.
Pray today that God will help you live your life by these four principles.  Because God delights in those who fear Him.
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Read: Ezekiel 17; Ezekiel 17:22-24
I the LORD bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. - Ezekiel 17:24


TODAY IN THE WORD
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Institute of Cosmology at Tufts University in Massachusetts, a new apple tree was planted last fall. This was no ordinary apple tree-it was a descendant of the famous tree Isaac Newton sat under when an apple dropped on his head and helped him come up with the theory of gravity. Tufts received three branches from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which had previously received a cutting from the Royal Botanical Gardens in England, where a descendant of the original tree is said to reside.
In today's reading, the planting of a new tree symbolizes a new beginning for Israel (vv. 22-24). First, though, Ezekiel gave an allegory or parable of an eagle and a seedling (vv. 1-10), followed by its interpretation (vv. 11-21). The first eagle was Nebuchadnezzar. The cedar tree represented the kingly line of David. Taking seeds from the top of the tree to a faraway land symbolized Jewish leaders, particularly King Jehoiachin, being taken to Babylon in exile. Then another seed, King Zedekiah, became a vine which tried to rebel against Babylon by relying on an alliance with Egypt (the second eagle). The east wind blew and the vine withered, meaning that the Babylonian armies would crush the revolt. (This prophecy was given about three years before it was fulfilled, as recounted in 2 Kings 24:8-25:30.) By breaking a treaty made in God's name and putting their trust in a human ally, Israel would once again prove that human wisdom is foolish and faithless.

Despite everything, a day would come when God Himself would restore the nation. His care and loving-kindness would ensure the growth of a new cedar tree. Birds would roost in its branches, suggesting that all the peoples of the earth will benefit. Over all these plot twists of history, God was, is, and will be sovereign. He raises up and brings down. He causes failure and gives success. He is the Ruler of all!
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Faith, as Scripture tells us, "is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Heb. 11:1). We sometimes speak of faith in God as if it were some kind of risk, when in fact it is the surest confidence there is. He will do what He says. He is in control. That's one reason Jesus compared faith to a mustard seed in His kingdom, which, though a small seed, grows into one of the largest of garden trees (Matt. 13:31-32).

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

June 12,  2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers
 
Getting There (2)
They said to Him, 'Rabbi . . . where are You staying?' He said to them, 'Come and see' -John 1:38-39

Where our self-interest sleeps and the real interest is awakened. "They . . . remained with Him that day . . . ." That is about all some of us ever do. We stay with Him a short time, only to wake up to our own realities of life. Our self-interest rises up and our abiding with Him is past. Yet there is no circumstance of life in which we cannot abide in Jesus.

"You are Simon . . . . You shall be called Cephas" ( John 1:42  ). God writes our new name only on those places in our lives where He has erased our pride, self-sufficiency, and self-interest. Some of us have our new name written only in certain spots, like spiritual measles. And in those areas of our lives we look all right. When we are in our best spiritual mood, you would think we were the highest quality saints. But don't dare look at us when we are not in that mood. A true disciple is one who has his new name written all over him- self-interest, pride, and self-sufficiency have been completely erased.

Pride is the sin of making "self" our god. And some of us today do this, not like the Pharisee, but like the tax collector (see Luke 18:9-14 ). For you to say, "Oh, I'm no saint," is acceptable by human standards of pride, but it is unconscious blasphemy against God. You defy God to make you a saint, as if to say, "I am too weak and hopeless and outside the reach of the atonement by the Cross of Christ." Why aren't you a saint? It is either that you do not want to be a saint, or that you do not believe that God can make you into one. You say it would be all right if God saved you and took you straight to heaven. That is exactly what He will do! And not only do we make our home with Him, but Jesus said of His Father and Himself, ". . . We will come to him and make Our home with him" ( John 14:23  ). Put no conditions on your life- let Jesus be everything to you, and He will take you home with Him not only for a day, but for eternity.
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Hoping in God's Mercy

In our last devotional, Psalm 147:10-11 showed us how important fearing God is to pleasing Him. 

He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.  The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy.

In today's devotional, I want to look at the second thing that pleases God, according to this psalm, those who hope in God's mercy.

You have to wonder why the Lord put those two things together, the fear of Him and hoping in His mercy.  At first blush, they do not seem to go together, but they do.

They show how God truly understands our nature.  That even those who reverence Him, and truly fear Him, and try to live for Him, sometimes fall short.  And in those moments of failure, they need the mercy of God.

In fact, we are told in the Book of Proverbs that the righteous man falls seven times, but gets up again.

You know, I love God, and I do my best to serve Him and walk with Him.  But I'm super grateful for His mercy!  Thank God He is a merciful God!  Because there are times when I so desperately need it, And I am sure you do, too!

My friend, if you have stumbled and today feel like you are a million miles away from God, do not despair.  God finds pleasure in those who hope in His mercy.  He is delighted when you ask for His mercy.  He will not be angry.

Remember, only the guilty need mercy.  And God finds pleasure when in your guilt you call out to Him, and hope in His mercy.
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Read: Ezekiel 18; Ezekiel 18:19-23
Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit - Ezekiel 18:31

TODAY IN THE WORD
As a young man, Dawson Trotman was a good student and a natural leader. In fact, he led the Christian Endeavor young people's group at his church. But he was living a double life in which he enjoyed drinking, smoking, and a partying lifestyle. When he and his girlfriend nearly drowned in a mountain lake, he took it as a spiritual wake-up call. Soon after, at age 20, he committed himself to following Christ. "Daws," as he became known, went on to found the Navigators, an organization committed to authentic discipleship.
"Repent and live!" is the message at the center of God's approach to justice and judgment. He takes no pleasure in punishing the wicked, but stands ready to forgive all who turn to Him. That's one of the main principles of Ezekiel 18. God's moral law is not as hard as iron, but is tempered by the softness of His mercy. A new heart and spirit are not something we can earn, but He stands ready to give them (v. 31).

A second main principle here is that we bear responsibility for our spiritual choices (cf. Jer. 31:29-30). The saying quoted in verse 2 reflects self-pity. The Israelites complained they would have no inheritance to pass on to their children. God contradicted this: First, He is in control, so the next generation's inheritance was ultimately His responsibility, not theirs. Second, He holds individuals accountable, so if the next generation acted differently, the results would be different.

To make sure the point was clear, Ezekiel gave a three-generation illustration of the principle that "the soul who sins is the one who will die" (v. 4). What about the Law's promise to punish the children for the sins of the fathers (Ex. 20:5)? Individual responsibility and collective responsibility are both present in Scripture. But God emphasized the former in this case because the Israelites were using His judgment as a cynical excuse to continue their disobedient ways, whereas He was calling them to repent and live.
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Verse 5 through 9 in today's reading, the first generation in Ezekiel's illustration, paint a vivid portrait of a righteous man. He is committed to justice, worship of the one true God, and faithfulness in his marriage. He does not exploit the poor but is generous to those in need. He is obedient to God's commands and thereby inherits life. How do we measure up in comparison to such a person? Our prayer today is that the Holy Spirit would enable us to live for Christ so that this description would be true of us.

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

June 13,  2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

Getting There (3)
. . come, follow Me -Luke 18:22

Where our individual desire dies and sanctified surrender lives. One of the greatest hindrances in coming to Jesus is the excuse of our own individual temperament. We make our temperament and our natural desires barriers to coming to Jesus. Yet the first thing we realize when we do come to Jesus is that He pays no attention whatsoever to our natural desires. We have the idea that we can dedicate our gifts to God. However, you cannot dedicate what is not yours. There is actually only one thing you can dedicate to God, and that is your right to yourself (see Romans 12:1  ). If you will give God your right to yourself, He will make a holy experiment out of you- and His experiments always succeed. The one true mark of a saint of God is the inner creativity that flows from being totally surrendered to Jesus Christ. In the life of a saint there is this amazing Well, which is a continual Source of original life. The Spirit of God is a Well of water springing up perpetually fresh. A saint realizes that it is God who engineers his circumstances; consequently there are no complaints, only unrestrained surrender to Jesus. Never try to make your experience a principle for others, but allow God to be as creative and original with others as He is with you.

If you abandon everything to Jesus, and come when He says, "Come," then He will continue to say, "Come," through you. You will go out into the world reproducing the echo of Christ's "Come." That is the result in every soul who has abandoned all and come to Jesus.

Have I come to Him? Will I come now?
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Standing in the Gap

Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.  So truth fails, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; and His own righteousness, it sustained Him (Isaiah 59:14-16).

God is not pleased at injustice nor when truth and righteousness do not prevail.   hen He sees those who turn from evil becoming a prey, He is not happy.

I remember a young man who an had lived a particularly sordid life.  He heard the gospel and had an amazing conversion experience.  Within a month or so of accepting Christ, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

What happened?  He departed from evil and became a prey!  God was not responsible for his situation, nor was He pleased.

Why did it happen?  At least part of the answer is found in verse 16.  There was no man serving as an intercessor.  No one was keeping a hedge of protection around that young man through prayer.

Before and after people turn from evil we need to intercede to God on their behalf.

I challenge you today to be one of those who stands in the gap and makes up the hedge for new babes in Christ.  May God find pleasure in you and me as we take our position as intercessors.
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Read: Ezekiel 19-20; Ezekiel 20:39-44
You will know that I am the LORD, when I deal with you for my name's sake and not according to your evil ways. - Ezekiel 20:44

TODAY IN THE WORD
Responding to today's passage, Nate Wilson wrote in Ezekiel: A Devotional Commentary: "Dear God, please help me to not be rebellious against you! Help me to put away the filthy idols of my eyes and love You wholeheartedly! . . . Oh God, help me to hate the evil I and my fathers have done and let me be part of an acceptable generation to You who worships You rightly and makes the nations know Your holiness."
Rebellion and idolatry dishonor the Lord, while obedience and worship bring glory to His name. That's the spiritual message Ezekiel conveyed throughout his ministry. In today's reading, chapter 19 is a prophetic lament, a sad poem commemorating the day when Ezekiel's prophecy of Jerusalem's destruction would come true. The first part of the poem (19:1-9) pictures the king and people as a pride of lions and lionesses that get trapped and caged. The second part (19:10-14) imagines the nation as a tall and fruitful vine that gets uprooted, stripped, and burned. This lament poem is God's and Ezekiel's way of mourning the necessity of the coming judgment.

What made it necessary? Chapter 20 answers that question with a history lesson on Israel's faithlessness. During the Exodus from Egypt, the people defiled themselves through idolatry. They ignored the promises and commandments of the God who had just freed them from four centuries of slavery. He had been inclined to destroy them then, but for the sake of His name He did not do so. The same thing happened over and over. The people would ignore God's blessings, plunge into idolatry, dishonor the covenant, and provoke the Lord to anger, but He patiently kept giving them another chance. He is love, and though Israel's sin invited judgment, He would redeem and purify them in spite of themselves (20:32-38). They didn't listen to these warnings (20:45-49)-but we can. To understand who God is and act in a manner worthy of our calling is to please and glorify Him.
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Like Nate Wilson in the devotional commentary referenced in today's illustration, we should always be alert to the meanings and applications of Scripture for our spiritual lives. What are your personal responses to the book of Ezekiel as we've studied it so far? What poetic figures of speech or symbolic actions remain most vividly in your imagination? Which aspects of the life of faith has the Holy Spirit been bringing to your attention during this study? Which dimensions of God's character have stood out most clearly?

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

June 14,  2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers

Get Moving (1)
Abide in Me . . . -John 15:4

In the matter of determination. The Spirit of Jesus is put into me by way of the atonement by the Cross of Christ. I then have to build my thinking patiently to bring it into perfect harmony with my Lord. God will not make me think like Jesus- I have to do it myself. I have to bring "every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5  ). "Abide in Me"- in intellectual matters, in money matters, in every one of the matters that make human life what it is. Our lives are not made up of only one neatly confined area.

Am I preventing God from doing things in my circumstances by saying that it will only serve to hinder my fellowship with Him? How irrelevant and disrespectful that is! It does not matter what my circumstances are. I can be as much assured of abiding in Jesus in any one of them as I am in any prayer meeting. It is unnecessary to change and arrange my circumstances myself. Our Lord's inner abiding was pure and unblemished. He was at home with God wherever His body was. He never chose His own circumstances, but was meek, submitting to His Father's plans and directions for Him. Just think of how amazingly relaxed our Lord's life was! But we tend to keep God at a fever pitch in our lives. We have none of the serenity of the life which is "hidden with Christ in God" ( Colossians 3:3  ).

Think of the things that take you out of the position of abiding in Christ. You say, "Yes, Lord, just a minute- I still have this to do. Yes, I will abide as soon as this is finished, or as soon as this week is over. It will be all right, Lord. I will abide then." Get moving- begin to abide now. In the initial stages it will be a continual effort to abide, but as you continue, it will become so much a part of your life that you will abide in Him without any conscious effort. Make the determination to abide in Jesus wherever you are now or wherever you may be placed in the future.
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God's Pleasure...Your Blessing

In Psalm 35:27 we are told,

Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually, "Let the LORD be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant."

This Psalm says it clearly-God is pleased when you are blessed.  The Revised Standard Version translates this verse this way, God delights in the welfare of His servant.

In Luke 12, when talking about God meeting our practical, physical, and material needs, Jesus says, "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

You do not need to somehow convince God to meet your needs.  In fact, God desires to bless you. 

It is like the son who felt his father had not provided for him when his dad passed away.  His father left one sibling some property, another one some valuable stock, and all the son got was a box of what looked to him like junk.

One day, because of financial trouble, the son had to move out of his apartment.  As he cleaned things out, he found the box of junk he had thrown in the back of a closet.   Noticing there were some stamps and trading cards in the box, he decided to see if they were worth anything.

It turned out the trading card collection was filled with rare baseball cards in mint condition.  And every one of the stamps was very rare-very valuable.  The combined appraisal of the two collections was over $450,000!

His father had provided for him, but the son had lived far below those privileges because he didn't believe his father had blessed him!

Our heavenly Father delights in, He takes pleasure in, the prosperity of His servant.  And that means you!
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Read: Ezekiel 21-22; Ezekiel 22:23-31
For with fire and with his sword the LORD will execute judgment upon all men. - Isaiah 66:16

TODAY IN THE WORD
Guest worker policies in some countries create a legalized equivalent of slavery. For example, as reported in Newsweek, labor brokers guarantee international workers jobs and salaries in Malaysia in exchange for hefty placement fees. When they arrive, however, the workers find they've been scammed. The salaries are far lower than promised-after deductions for room and board, as little as $14 per month. But the workers can't leave because Malaysian law requires them to sign multiyear contracts and their employers hold their passports. The workers are trapped. The United Nations estimates that at least 12.3 million people worldwide are enslaved in such forced labor arrangements.
God hates injustice in any form, and when He draws His sword of judgment we can be sure justice will be swiftly done. Chapter 21 is an extended discourse on this topic. It might be an answer to Ezekiel's complaint that the people were dismissing his "parables" (20:49)-this word from the Lord was much more direct! There were still dramatic elements, such as the command to groan loudly and to make some kind of map or model (21:6-7, 19-20). But the meaning was plain: Babylon would conquer and destroy Jerusalem. In this case, Babylon was the sword of the Lord, and His judgment would be righteous and terrible.

Chapter 22 reiterates or makes plain the sins that were the reason for judgment. As compared to the historical angle of chapter 20, this condemnation is framed as a court case against the present generation, especially the leaders. Their sins were extensive: idolatry, abuse of power, violence or bloodshed, slander, desecration of the Sabbath, sexual immorality, taking bribes, and other forms of social injustice and self-indulgence. Leaders should serve rather than prey on others for personal gain. Priests should serve the Lord rather than leading the way to the altars of false idols. The furnace of God's judgment would burn away these sins and purify His people (22:18-22).
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
God looked for but could not find a single righteous person to "stand in the gap" (22:30). To "stand in the gap" means to intercede for a larger group, as when Moses prayed for the Israelites (Num. 21:4-9) or when Jesus prayed for His disciples (John 17). Are we as followers of Christ standing in the gap for our country? Social injustices such as racism and abortion anger the Lord, but we have the privilege and responsibility of interceding in prayer for our nation and its leaders.

GOD BLESS!

[Judy Harder]

 
Daily Devotional

June 15,  2010

Daily Devotionals By Oswald Chambers
   
Get Moving (2)
Also . . . add to your faith . . . -2 Peter 1:5

In the matter of drudgery. Peter said in this passage that we have become "partakers of the divine nature" and that we should now be "giving all diligence," concentrating on forming godly habits (2 Peter 1:4-5 ). We are to "add" to our lives all that character means. No one is born either naturally or supernaturally with character; it must be developed. Nor are we born with habits- we have to form godly habits on the basis of the new life God has placed within us. We are not meant to be seen as God's perfect, bright-shining examples, but to be seen as the everyday essence of ordinary life exhibiting the miracle of His grace. Drudgery is the test of genuine character. The greatest hindrance in our spiritual life is that we will only look for big things to do. Yet, "Jesus . . . took a towel and . . . began to wash the disciples' feet . . ." ( John 13:3-5  ).

We all have those times when there are no flashes of light and no apparent thrill to life, where we experience nothing but the daily routine with its common everyday tasks. The routine of life is actually God's way of saving us between our times of great inspiration which come from Him. Don't always expect God to give you His thrilling moments, but learn to live in those common times of the drudgery of life by the power of God.

It is difficult for us to do the "adding" that Peter mentioned here. We say we do not expect God to take us to heaven on flowery beds of ease, and yet we act as if we do! I must realize that my obedience even in the smallest detail of life has all of the omnipotent power of the grace of God behind it. If I will do my duty, not for duty's sake but because I believe God is engineering my circumstances, then at the very point of my obedience all of the magnificent grace of God is mine through the glorious atonement by the Cross of Christ.
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Obedience and Respect

I am sure most Christian parents, at one time or another, have pointed their children to Colossians 3:20,

Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

Or to Ephesians 6:1-3,

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."

These two character qualities of obeying and honoring parents are vital to pleasing God.  But it is important to understand that obedience has to do with an outward act, while honoring has to do with an inward attitude of the heart.

As parents, we all can remember those times when our children may have been outwardly obedient but were being inwardly disrespectful. You may have gotten them to sit down in the corner, but while they sat there, they were thinking, "I may be sitting down on the outside, but I'm standing up on the inside!"

If you are a parent, it is critical for you to deal just as swiftly with a disrespectful attitude as it is with a disobedient act.  It is part of your God-given role of teaching your children obedience and respect for authority.

As your children learn how to obey and respect, you will not only bring them peace, they will experience God's blessing in their lives.

So as you work to raise your children to be the people God desires them to be, make a priority of teaching your children the qualities of respect for authority and obedience. Someday they will bless you for it!
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Read: Ezekiel 23-24; Ezekiel 24:9-14
You may be sure that your sin will find you out. - Numbers 32:23


TODAY IN THE WORD
Once a lobster is caught by a fisherman, its fate is all but certain-a cooking pot, a garlic butter sauce, and a comfortable bed on the plate of some lucky diner. Fiona, however, is an exception. Fiona is a rare yellow lobster caught in 2009 off the coast of eastern Canada. How rare? One in 30 million. "In 57 years, I have never seen a yellow lobster and I doubt that I will ever see one again," said restaurant owner Nathan Nickerson. Actually a bright orange in color, Fiona will live in a tank in his restaurant, where he hopes she will attract many new customers.
A yellow lobster may escape the cooking pot, but the leaders of Israel had no escape. They could be sure their sins would find them out (Num. 32:23). Today's reading concludes the first major section of Ezekiel-the prophecies preceding the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 586 B.C.

These chapters can be divided into four parts. First is a parable of two sisters who were prostitutes (23:1-21). These sisters stand for Israel and Judah in the days of the divided kingdom. Idolatry and political alliances with pagan nations constituted unfaithfulness to the Lord. The people should have been relying on God alone and worshiping Him alone. Instead, their disobedience is seen in the sisters' lustful, indiscriminate lewdness.

Second is an exposition of God's just judgment on Israel and Judah (23:22-49). The cup of God's wrath was full. The people had no excuse. Knowing full well God's law and character, they chose wickedness. Third is a picture of a cooking pot as a metaphor for God's judgment (24:1-14; see also June 7). This vision came on the exact day the siege of Jerusalem began.

And fourth is the death of Ezekiel's wife (24:15-27). This event took place on the exact day the temple was destroyed. The quiet but deep mourning of the prophet for the heartbreaking loss of his wife reflected at a personal level what the loss of Jerusalem and the temple meant to Israel.
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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Throughout the prophecies of impending judgment, God through Ezekiel continuously urged the Israelites to confess their sins and return to Him. As Christians, we also have this privilege-and we know we need it. If we think we're walking without sin, we're kidding ourselves. God's work of sanctification in our lives is not yet complete; therefore, confession needs to be a regular spiritual discipline. When we confess and repent, we enjoy God's forgiveness and walk again in His light (1 John 1:5-10).

GOD BLESS!