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God’s messenger…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 5:14 “I will make you a ruin and a reproach among the nations around you, in the sight of all who pass by.”
I consider myself a messenger for God. I try to show others, through my words and actions, that they are worthwhile and valuable simply because they are God’s. All life has inherent value. And when I am feeling less than worthy, I remind myself that I am a deeply loved child of God. That reminder helps me through the rough spots.
Ezekiel 5:15 “You will be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and an object of horror to the nations around you when I inflict punishment on you in anger and in wrath and with stinging rebuke. I the Lord have spoken.”
So I am having a hard time wrapping my head around how Ezekiel might be feeling. He is definitely God’s messenger, but his message is truly terrible—destruction and death brought on by the behavior of God’s people, behavior that could have been changed but wasn’t. I cannot imagine how Ezekiel must feel.
Ezekiel 5:16 “When I shoot at you with my deadly and destructive arrows of famine, I will shoot to destroy you. I will bring more and more famine upon you and cut off your supply of food.”
Lord, You created me as a compassionate being who cares about others. You brought me to Ezekiel and caused me concern about how he’s handling Your call. I’m not sure what to do with this, Lord. Help me. Guide me. Draw me closer. Amen.
Ezekiel 5:17 “I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will leave you childless. Plague and bloodshed will sweep through you, and I will bring the sword against you. I the Lord have spoken.”
Have a blessed day.
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Help me understand, Lord…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 4:12 Eat the food as you would a loaf of barley bread; bake it in the sight of the people, using human excrement for fuel.” 
I’ll be honest—I’m not exactly sure what to do with today’s passage. God lays out His plan for Ezekiel, and Ezekiel asks Him to reconsider part of it. He is all for doing God’s will, but what God is asking of him—eating bread cooked over human excrement—will cause Ezekiel to break kosher requirements. Because Ezekiel speaks up, God amend His plan. What am I supposed to do with that?
Ezekiel 4:13 The Lord said, “In this way the people of Israel will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them.”
I am a rule follower from way back. You give me the rules and I will follow them to the letter. And I would have thought God would appreciate that. After all, this is His plan. Is He proud of Ezekiel for speaking up? Is this the testing of that bold persona? What does this mean for my own untenable situations? Do I just need to learn to speak up like Ezekiel?
Ezekiel 4:14 Then I said, “Not so, Sovereign Lord! I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead or torn by wild animals. No impure meat has ever entered my mouth.”
Lord, I know You have called me to this passage. Help me to understand the message You have for me here. You are not mean or cruel. You can be found by those earnestly seeking. Help me understand, Lord. Help me to know You more. Amen.
Ezekiel 4:15 “Very well,” he said, “I will let you bake your bread over cow dung instead of human excrement.”
Have a blessed day.
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Called and equipped…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 3:7 But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate.
Commentary points out that Jeremiah and Ezekiel are equipped in much different ways. Ezekiel is made with an edge to stand up to these rebellious people. Jeremiah has a much softer heart. Yet God made them both exactly as He needed them for the work He had for them to do. How many times have I been frustrated or upset because of the way God made me? Lord, Forgive me. You created me exactly as I am for a purpose.
Ezekiel 3:8 But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are.
I find it fascinating that God equipped Ezekiel specifically for this calling yet He still reminded Ezekiel (again) not to be afraid or terrified of them (v9). Seems like part of the equipping would remove the fear. I also find it interesting that in verse 14, Ezekiel has bitterness and anger in his spirit. Why? He wants God to use him. He feels God’s presence. He is equipped by God for this calling. I think I’m relieved that the ancient prophets struggled with these same fleshly emotions I wrestled with today.
Ezekiel 3:9 I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.”
Lord, Thank You for knowing my heart. Thank You for showing up where I am, for calling me and equipping me for Your purpose. Forgive me my doubts, anger, fear. Thank You for the comfort of knowing I’m not alone in these emotions. Let Your love drive out all else. Draw me closer. Amen.
Ezekiel 3:14 The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord on me.
Have a blessed day.
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A seeking heart…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 2:6a And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words….
On his 30th birthday, sitting by a foreign river in an exiled land, Ezekiel receives God’s call. Literally. Not only does God see him, not only does He know the desires of Ezekiel’s heart, God also knows his fears and concerns. God shows up. And thankfully, Ezekiel is paying attention. He is earnestly seeking. And he sees God is present.
Ezekiel 2:6b …Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions….
If Ezekiel had been moping, he would have totally missed God’s presence, God’s gift, His call to Ezekiel, and God’s reassurance. It’s futile to ask how many times I may have been too busy moping to notice God show up in my circumstances—much better to vow from this point on to have a seeking heart, to look expectantly at my circumstances, knowing my Savior will be found when I earnestly seek Him.
Ezekiel 2:6c …Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.
Lord, You tell Ezekiel again and again not to be afraid. And the truth is, If we align ourselves to You, there is nothing and no one to be afraid of in this life. Thank You for always showing up in my circumstances. Give me a brave heart that seeks You always. Help me to wait expectantly on Your presence. Amen.
Ezekiel 2:7 You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.
Have a blessed day.
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Earnestly seek Him…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 1:1 In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
Commentary goes into great detail about Ezekiel’s vision in this chapter. And while there is much that is fascinating in Ezekiel’s vision, that’s not what I find most noteworthy about this chapter. Ezekiel wanted to be used in God’s service. He had planned on being a priest for the LORD. Captivity made that impossible. Yet on His 30th birthday, the day he would have begun his temple service, by a river in a faraway land, God shows up.
Ezekiel 1:26 Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man.
God knows that Ezekiel has a heart for Him. God knows his 30th birthday marks and important milestone that will never be, God knows Ezekiel’s seeks Him with all his heart—and God. Shows. Up. But this should hardly surprising. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” It seems as if the revelation isn’t that God is with us if we seek Him, it’s that we forget that all we have to do is earnestly seek Him to be able to find Him in our lives.
Ezekiel 1:28a Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him…
Lord, You promise to never leave us nor forsake us. You promise that if we seek You wholeheartedly, we will always find You. Forgive us for our forgetfulness on such a crucial point. Help us to develop the daily habit of earnestly seeking You. Help us to see Your presence everywhere in our lives. Amen.
Ezekiel 1:28b …This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
Have a blessed day.
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Promise and hope…. (devo reflection)

Lamentations 5:15 Joy is gone from our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning.
Psalm 30:11 shows that when God is our center, when we humble ourselves before Him, He turns our mourning into dancing, loosens our sackcloth and clothes us with gladness. Lamentations 5:15 shows that when God is no longer our center, when we turn from Him to our own desires, the opposite occurs.
Lamentations 5:16 The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned!
Joy and gladness are not rights, they are blessings. We don’t deserve them. We shouldn’t expect them. But when we live a life aligned to God, when we keep Him at our center, when we humble ourselves before Him, He lavishes His blessings upon us.
Lamentations 5:19 You, Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation.
Lord, You do not promise to keep us from mourning and sadness. We can’t avoid these conditions in this fallen world. But You lavish us with blessings that turn for us our mourning into dancing; You loose our sackcloth and clothe us with gladness in the midst of sorrow and mourning. Thank You for the promise and hope that can only come from You. Help me, always, to humble myself before You, to keep You at my center, to recognize Your blessings in this life. Amen.
Lamentations 5:21 Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old….
Have a blessed day.
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The most precious thing I possess…. (devo reflection)

Lamentations 4:1 How the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold become dull! The sacred gems are scattered at every street corner.
My tendency toward pride, toward feeling like something is my due, is addressed in this verse. God’s blessings are gold, precious and valuable, but when I treat them as rights due to me, the value of those blessings is diminished in my eyes—they aren’t precious gifts, they are expectations. Jesus, Forgive me.
Lamentations 4:12 The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the peoples of the world, that enemies and foes could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
Pride also leads to neglect. If I expect something is mine and that no one will take it away from me, I don’t tend it like I should. I don’t care for, value, or protect it like the precious thing it is. I’ve never thought about pride affecting my relationship with my Savior, but that’s exactly what happened in Jerusalem and Judah. They quit acting like God’s chosen people and started doing whatever they pleased, figuring that their chosen status was secured. I’ve acted in the same ignorance. Jesus, Forgive me.
Lamentations 4:13 But it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed within her the blood of the righteous.
Lord, I have seen the dangers of pride in my own life, the bitterness when something I thought was mine by rights was taken away or withheld. Forgive me. Today’s scripture has help solidify that my relationship with You is THE most precious, most valuable thing I possess. Help me to never be prideful about Your love. Help me to tend my relationship with You as the precious gift it is. Help me to always be thankful and grateful for Your blessings in my life, to never take them for granted. Amen.
Lamentations 4:16 The Lord himself has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. The priests are shown no honor, the elders no favor.
Have a blessed day.
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Humility leads to hope…. (devo reflection)

Lamentations 3:21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
I have been aware of this section of Lamentations 3 for a long time. I gravitate toward the hope it provides. But commentary on these verses makes an interesting point that really resonates with me this morning: “he humbled himself under the mighty hand of God, and then his hope revives.”
Lamentations 3:22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
This idea of humility leading to hope is one I’d not pondered before, but it makes perfect sense. When I approach life with a prideful attitude and things don’t go my way, I feel offended. But when I approach life from a humbled heart, with the attitude that God is sovereign and can work all things for my good and His glory, hope flares—even when I don’t understand, don’t like what is happening, and can’t see any way for positive resolution.
Lamentations 3:23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lord, Thank You for the reminder that You ARE in control and You ARE working all things for our good and Your glory, regardless of my circumstances or emotions. Period. Full stop. Thank You for helping me see how my pride leads to bitterness and my humility leads to hope. Fill my life with Your hope, Lord. Help me to share Your light with all I encounter. Amen.
Lamentations 3:24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
Have a blessed day.
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Privilege and responsibility…. (devo reflection)

Lamentations 2:13 What can I say for you? With what can I compare you, Daughter Jerusalem? To what can I liken you, that I may comfort you, Virgin Daughter Zion? Your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can heal you?
Commentary made a point in this chapter that really struck me: “For many generations God’s people thought only in terms of the privilege and not of the responsibility” of the titles and positions of Daughter of Zion and Daughter of Judah.
Lamentations 2:14 The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The prophecies they gave you were false and misleading.
I love the privilege of my title of fiercely loved child of God. There are many promises tied up in that title. But I don’t often think of the responsibilities asked of me because of that position, though I think that as I get older I am naturally gravitating to some of the habits—daily time with God, daily communication with God, studying God’s word, shining God’s light, living as an example to God’s people (that one is disconcerting, for sure), loving extravagantly and without reason.
Lamentations 2:15 All who pass your way clap their hands at you; they scoff and shake their heads at Daughter Jerusalem: “Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth?”
Lord, Thank You for the privilege of being Your fiercely loved child. Help me to be mindful of enthusiastically fulfilling the things You have called me to do as Your daughter, all of which draw me closer to You. Keep drawing me closer, Lord. Always. Amen.
Lamentations 2:17 The Lord has done what he planned; he has fulfilled his word, which he decreed long ago. He has overthrown you without pity, he has let the enemy gloat over you, he has exalted the horn of your foes.
Have a blessed day.
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The process of being humbled…. (devo reflection)

Lamentations 1:5 Her foes have become her masters; her enemies are at ease. The Lord has brought her grief because of her many sins. Her children have gone into exile, captive before the foe.
It is hard to be humbled. Even as I type these words, they feel like a colossal understatement. Being humbled involves realizing you were arrogant in the first place. It usually involves losing something important or valuable to the one humbled. It involves acknowledging that you are at fault, that your actions led to this miserable end.
Lamentations 1:7a In the days of her affliction and wandering Jerusalem remembers all the treasures that were hers in days of old….
The process of being humbled is incredibly painful. It involves mourning, grief, and loss. But it can also lead to a humble and contrite heart, which can lead us back to God….if we allow, if we humble ourselves fully.
Lamentations 1:7b …When her people fell into enemy hands, there was no one to help her. Her enemies looked at her and laughed at her destruction.
Lord, I know You are at work in my heart. I know You are still working with me on humility, on laying aside my pride, on emptying myself of me so that I can be filled with You. I want this, too, but my fleshly humanity keeps getting in the way, keeps trying to wrestle back control. Help me, Lord. Amen.
Lamentations 1:8 Jerusalem has sinned greatly and so has become unclean. All who honored her despise her, for they have all seen her naked; she herself groans and turns away.
Have a blessed day.