God's Plea

Reading:  Ezekiel 19, 20
My Verse:  "I the LORD am your God;
                       walk in My  statutes and 
                       and keep my ordinances"  (Ezekiel 20:19).

  It is hard to think of You, LORD God, pleading with us, Your creatures!  And yet, You do this over and over throughout scripture, throughout history.  All of scripture is written that we may know You,  forsake all idols, and turn to You.

"Then said I to them;
     Let every man cast away the abominable things on which he feasts his eyes,
     and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt;
     I am the LORD your God" (Ezekiel 20:7).

This is so plaintive, poignant, piercingly sad because it reveals how very much You love us, how much You want us in fellowship with You but we continue to deny You.

"But they rebelled against me and would not listen to Me;
     they did not every man cast away the abominable things on which they feasted their eyes,
     nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.

Then I thought I will pour out My wrath upon them 
     and finish My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt"  (Ezekiel 20:8).

Thank You, LORD God for Your mercy, Your amazing love for us, because You did not destroy all as they deserved.  In Your mercy You spared, and continue to spare us and give us yet another chance to turn to You!

Right now the politics of our country seems so out of whack.  Many events occurring in our country and the world are disturbing.

Psalms 82:5 speaks to how messed up things become when our leaders rely on their own faulty wisdom, when they remove You and Your precepts from the decision making.

"They know not
     neither will they understand;
     they walk on in darkness:
all the foundations of the earth are out of course."

The amplified states that the "they" here are our leaders.  And states how they walk in the "darkness of complacent satisfaction."   It goes on to say that the foundations are the "fundamental principles upon which rests the administration of justice"  and so the earth is shaking!

I heard on the radio an advertisement for a seminar that was to speak to the "Ideal Way to Raise Up a Child."  I had to laugh as they is no such thing!  We are all of us flawed - children and adults.  We live in a flawed society.  We may know the right thing to do, the right way to deal with a matter, but that does not mean we will do it.  We can be placed into the most ideal and beautiful location with all the tools needed to do the job correctly and we will mess it up.  Adam and Eve were in that situation - and look what happened.  They had a better chance at succeeding than any of us and still . . .

You plead with us to come to You, to look to You.

Even as a saved person we are not immune to sinning, to messing up.  Thank You, LORD God for constantly encouraging, and drawing our attention back to You and away from "the abominable things" and "idols of Egypt."

You, LORD God, did not just plead with us with words but by sacrificing Your only Son to enable us to come to You.

"let us also lay aside every weight,
   and sin which clings so closely,
   and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking to Jesus,
   the founder and perfecter of our faith,
   Who for the joy was set before Him endured the cross,
   despising the shame,
   and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1,2).

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

The Soul Who Sins Shall Die

Reading:  Ezekiel 18
My Verse:  "Behold, all souls are mine;
                       the soul of the father
                       as well as the soul of the son is mine;
                          the soul who sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4).

This chapter addresses an old proverb that basically states that a "father's sins carry over to the son."  You, LORD God are stating definitively that this is simply not so!  Each of us must answer for ourselves.


You, LORD God, state:

"If a man is righteous and does what is just and right - 
     if he does not eat upon the mountains
     or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
     does not defile his neighbor's wife
    or approach a woman in her time of menstrual impurity,
     does not oppress anyone,
     but restores to the debtor his pledge
     commits no robbery,
     gives his bread to the hungry
     and covers the naked with a garment,
     does not lend at interest
     or take any profit
     withholds his hand from injustice,
     executes true justice between man and man,
     walks in my statutes, 
     and keeps my rules by acting faithfully -
        he is righteous;
he shall surely live, declares the LORD God" (Ezekiel 18:5-9).

And, you also say:

"If he fathers a son who is violent, 
   a shedder of blood, 
   who does any of these things . . .

he shall surely die;
his blood shall be upon himself"  (Ezekiel 18:10-13).

There is this amazing passage in chapter 14 that speaks to this, how no one is spared if they commit sin by denying You, LORD God!

"Son of man when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly,
   and I stretch out my hand against it and break its supply of bread
   and send famine upon it,
   and cut off from it man and beast,
   even if these three men,
     Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it,
     they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness,
         declares the LORD God" (Ezekiel 14:12-14).

One is not saved simply by association with a righteous/saved person.

But the wonderful thing is that one (as long as one has life!) need not stay in their sin!
You are very clear about this.

"But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed
     and keeps all my statutes 
     and does what is just and right,
     he shall surely live;
     he shall not die.

None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him . . .

Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked,
   declares the LORD God,
   and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?"  (Ezekiel 18:21-23).

Thank You, LORD God for this!  I am encouraged to pray for loved ones who do not know You.  I am encouraged to not be anxious of those who so blatantly sin against You.  Each soul answers to You!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

A Proper Perspective of God

Reading:  Ezekiel 17
My Verse:  "And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the LORD;
                    I bring low the high tree,
                    and make the high the low tree,
                    dry up the green tree,
                    and make the dry tree flourish,

                    I AM the LORD;
                    I have spoken, and I will do it"  (Ezekiel 17:24).

How often I need reminding of this LORD God!  Thank You for this today.  You are LORD of all that is on this earth.   As Your child, You have me in the palm of Your hand, to keep and guard me as I walk upon this earth.  This doesn't mean I will not have pain but You will keep me through the pain, through all the scary stuff that You allow to come my way.  You are a sovereign God - I need to view the world and all that occurs in it with that proper perspective.

As a sovereign God You are supreme in power and authority.  You, LORD God, are above all others in character, importance and excellence!  Hannah of the Old Testament and Mary in her Magnificat of the New Testament stated this truth most beautifully.

"There is none holy like the LORD;
   there is none besides you;
   there is no rock like our God. . .

The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
   He brings low and He exalts.
  He raises up the poor from the dust;
  He lifts the needy from the ash heap
      to make them sit with princes
      and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's,
   and on them He has set the world (1 Samuel 2:2 - 8).

"My soul magnifies the LORD,
      and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
      for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant.
   For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
      for He who is mighty has done great things for me,
      and holy is His name.

And his mercy is for those who fear Him
   from generation to generation.
     He has shown strength with His arm;
     He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
     He has brought down the mighty from their thrones
        and exalted those of humble estate;
     He has filled the hungry with good things,
        and the rich He has sent away empty.
     He has helped His servant Israel,
        in remembrance of His mercy,
        as He spoke to our father,
        to Abraham and to his offspring forever" (Luke 1:46-55).

Thank You, LORD God for these two amazing women, women who were beautiful and magnificent because they took to heart and lived the truth that You are!

These last few days we have been blanketed with snow and it is so beautiful!  Especially when the sun comes out and makes it glisten and sparkle.  Nothing compares to this.  We as humans are totally incapable of even coming close to bringing such beauty to life.  And it is ephemeral - brief but spectacular!  I love it.  It helps me to bring things back into proper perspective.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Corrupting God's Gifts

Reading:  Ezekiel 15, 16
My Verse: :  "Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know,
                         understand,
                         and realize her [idolatrous] abominations
                         [that they] are disgusting,
                                                 detestable,
                                                 and shamefully vile" (Ezekiel 16:2).

Here Ezekiel goes into some mind blowing, concept stretching metaphors to get across Your deep,  holy anger with the spiritual betrayal of Your chosen people, LORD God.  I do not begin to understand fully all that is said here, but see and sense the seriousness of Your wrath and the awfulness of betrayal, deception and lying that is involved in the "wanton sexual immorality" committed by the Israelites.  And how we corrupt Your gifts to us.

First, we are shown how You, LORD God, provide us all that we need.  You lather upon us Your gifts to enrich and beautify us.

"I made my vow to you  and entered into a covenant with you,
     and you became mine.

Then I bathed you with water 
   and washed off your blood from you
   and anointed you with oil.

I clothed you also with embroidered cloth
   and shod you with fine leather.
I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you in silk.

And I adorned you with ornaments 
   and put bracelets on your wrists 
   and a chain on your neck.

And I put a ring on your nose
   and earrings in your ears
   and a beautiful crown on your head.

Thus you were adorned with gold and silver,
   and your clothing was of fine linen and silk and embroidered cloth.

You ate fine flour and honey and oil.
You grew exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty.

And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty,
   for it was perfect through the splendor that I had bestowed on you,
     declared the LORD" (Ezekiel 16:8 - 14).

What a beautiful picture of Your love for us!  It is You that provide us all that we have or want.  You want all this for us and yet we stray!  We forsake it all for that which is a lie, that which is as the wind - unattainable, and we end up with a yawning unsatisfiable appetite that grows and grows making ourselves more and more detestable.

The saddest part to this passage is when the very gifts given to "beautify and enhance" are used instead to "diminish and debase."  We corrupt all that is wonderful.

"You took some of your garments and made for yourself colorful shrines,
     and on them played the whore. . . 
You took also the beautiful jewels  . . . and made images . . . and played the whore . . .

Also my bread that I gave you  . . .

And in all your abominations and your wrongs you did not remember the day of your youth . . .

How sick is your heart, declared the LORD" (Ezekiel 16:23-30).

This is dreadful and yet it speaks to Your love for us.  You, LORD God will do whatever it takes to bring us to You.  You will allow us to go to the utter depths of sin if that is what it takes to wake us up to our need of You and Your saving grace.  Even after all this You remind us of Your mercy.

"Then you will remember your ways . . .
     that you may remember and be confounded,
     and never open your mouth again
        because of your shame,
     when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the LORD God" (Ezekiel 16:61-63).

Only You LORD God can forgive and heal us of our worst sins!

"For their sake he remembered His covenant,
   and relented according to the abundance of His steadfast love" (Psalm 106:45).

 I recall here the story of that great battle between Pharaoh and Moses.  Pharaoh does finally admit his sin but he never repents of that sin.  Acknowledging one's wrongdoing is not enough.

"When later, Mephisto, appears and smilingly declares himself the winner,
he can still be defeated
by the manner in which we accept the consequences of our action."
                                                            -Dag Hammerarskjold on quoting Faust

We do corrupt all that is beautiful and wonderful and yet, we need not stay there!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

False Assurances, False Hopes, False Religion

Reading:  Ezekiel 13,14
My Verse:  "Therefore thus says the LORD God:  
                       Behold I am against your pillows and charms and veils 
                          with which you snare human lives like birds, 
                          and I will tear them from your arms 
                          and will let the lives you hunt go free, 
                          the lives you are snaring like birds" (Ezekiel 13:20 Amplified).

These two chapters are devoted to calling out those that lead people astray with false teaching.
The warnings are actually quite ominous and frightening. Those who give false assurances, false hopes, and teach false religion will have to answer to You,  Almighty LORD God.

The ESV states it this way:
"Thus says the LORD God; Woe to the women who sew magic bands upon all wrists, and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature, in the hunt for souls!  Will you hunt down souls belonging to my people and keep your own souls alive?" (13:18)

I do not understand all that is implied here, LORD God but it is obvious that You are telling those that lead others astray that You will deal with them!  You know what they are doing! And because You are a Holy, Just God, You will not abide these kinds of actions.

You teach us that we are not to be involved with anything that has to do with this kind of evil deception.  The ESV study note refers to this as "illicit spiritual manipulation" which You teach us to stay away from.

"Do not turn to mediums or necromancers;
   do not seek them out,
   and so make yourselves unclean by them:
     I AM the LORD" (Leviticus 20:31).

"There shall not be found among you anyone
   who burns his son or daughter as an offering,
   anyone who practices divininations
   or tells fortunes,
   or interprets omens,
   or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium 
   or a necromancer
   or one who inquires of the dead,

   for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. . ." (Deuteronomy 18:10-11).

You will punish with "-the sword, the famine, the evil wild beasts, and the pestilence-. . ." (14:21).  You will do this that we may know that You are the LORD God!

". . . I will deliver my people out of your hand.  And you shall know that I am the LORD." (13:23).
". . . and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done . . . declares the LORD God" (14:23)

Oh, LORD God, help me to always seek after truth, Your truth!  Place in me an earnest desire to seek You diligently and steadfastly.  Help me in this so that I will be discerning as to what is accurate and what is false.

1 John 4:1 reminds us that there are many false prophets out there.
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world."

You, LORD God, tell me to be vigilant against all that is false.  And the only way to be able to discern that which is evil is by reading Your Word, the Bible.

"For the word of God is living and active,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing to the division of soul and of spirit,
of joints and of marrow, 
and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding . . ." (Proverbs 3:5).

"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit,
according to human tradition,
according to the elemental spirits of the world,
and not according to Christ" (Colossians 2:8).

And I especially like these two . . .
"For God is not a God of confusion but of peace . . ." 1 Corinthians 2:14).

"If any of you lacks wisdom. 
let him ask God,
who gives generously to all without reproach,
and it will be given him" (James 1:5).

Thank You, LORD God for these assurances.  I need not live with fear because You are ever present and desiring to keep me safe and secure!  It is up to me to constantly recognize my need and cry out to You as David did "Have mercy on me, LORD God!" (Psalm 51:1).

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!