SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 6-12
“Slaughter the old men, the young men and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary.” (Ezekiel 10:6)
It’s hard to hear words of slaughter, but if we knew the extent of their deprivation, we would understand better.
God is not causing the slaughter, He is withdrawing His protection from those who refuse to stay within it.
In their hearts and by their actions, the people have left God and walked into the lion’s den.
After years and years of warning, God is finally pulling out, and leaving them to their desires.
And it isn’t pretty… it’s gory.
I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. (Ezekiel 11:19-20)
The note of hope is that God isn’t giving up.
He is using these circumstances to shake people up, so that they will know that he is Lord after all.
And when they admit their folly and seek His mercy, He will change their hearts.
This is what He does through Jesus; Jesus joins humanity in the gory in order to bring us into glory.
He is slaughtered with us, though He didn’t deserve it; He is raised from death, and given the Spirit of life.
The Spirit that is given to us all, the Spirit that changes us from the inside out.
As long as we remain open to God, His life-changing Spirit works in us, making us stronger.
But when we are closed to God and step out of His protective love, we enter the lions den.
We step out of the glory, into the gory… and it isn’t pretty.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, help me to see that there are consequences when I turn away from You. Strengthen my spirit with Your Spirit, make my heart alive to You, that I may follow You and Your way for life!
Jesus follower
trying to find His way
Observation/Application
The Lord spoke to the prophet about the happenings about to happen. How does His Word come to me? How do I see the calamities of the world today?
The end came to the people then because of their lifestyle = so that they may know and see the hand of God. Life without God was a disaster. Each did what was right in their own eyes. And the Lord visited the people with His judgement.
The Lord does see what man is also doing today – going his own way. He still speaks to His own this day. How is He speaking to me this day? How do I see the hand of God moving this day for this day is also a day of the Lord.
His Spirit is also in His people today and we need to speak His Word. I too need an undivided heart and not a hardened heart – a heart of stone. I need to see His world through His eyes. Eyes to see and ears to hear in all the events of this day which is called today – a gift to be used for His glory.
Am I a sign to all who see me?
May I each day anew live as His Word comes to me – living in His presence being SpiritLead. GodStrong.
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.