A Work in Progress….

Ezekiel 37:1 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.

Commentary pointed out something that I’m sure I knew but that I don’t often think about when reading this passage: “…these bones were not only dead; they were also disgraced.” God not only breathes life into dry bones, He breathes life into the bones of people left to rot and be torn apart by animals, people that others have given up on. God gives them life. He breathes into them, picks up the pieces, stitches them back together with sinews and muscles and skin, and claims them as His own. This is an incredibly powerful image for me.

Ezekiel 37:4-5 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.’”

Haven’t we all felt like dry bones at times? Abandoned, disgraced, forgotten, utterly exhausted, too far gone to be saved? But God sees us. He knows our names. He knows our value and worth. He can breathe life back into our dry bones. Thank You, Jesus.

Ezekiel 37:6 “‘I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

Lord, There is so much to be thankful for in this passage. Thank You that You claim us, even in our exhaustion and disgrace. Thank You that You weave us back together, that You breathe life back into our dry bones. Thank You for claiming us as Your own. We can never be worthy of the title, yet we can live into Your grace and love. Help us, Lord. Amen.

Ezekiel 37:23 They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

Have a blessed day.

Ezekiel 35:11 “…therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will treat you in accordance with the anger and jealousy you showed in your hatred of them and I will make myself known among them when I judge you.”

My rule of thumb for quite some time has been that if I wouldn’t say something to a person’s face, I should not say it behind that person’s back. I’m sad to say I’ve slipped on that rule of late, and I definitely need to get back to towing that line.

Ezekiel 35:12 “Then you will know that I the Lord have heard all the contemptible things you have said against the mountains of Israel. You said, “They have been laid waste and have been given over to us to devour.”

That rule has more to do with the state of my heart than the fear of God’s judgement. If I say things out loud in anger, that allows those things space in my heart and mind. Those weeds growing unchecked in my soul can do incredible damage to my faith. Besides, I know that we all have more going on than meets the eye. I know that my unkind words are my anger at their behavior, which doesn’t account for whatever they have going on. Much better to give it to God—the entire situation, person and all—than to plant those negative thoughts in my soul.

Ezekiel 35:13-14 You boasted against me and spoke against me without restraint, and I heard it. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: While the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate.

Lord, Thank You for the reminder that I need to do a better job of extending grace and policing my thoughts. Help me to give others the same level of grace and compassion that You lavish so undeservedly on me. Amen.

Ezekiel 35:15 Because you rejoiced when the inheritance of Israel became desolate, that is how I will treat you. You will be desolate, Mount Seir, you and all of Edom. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”

Have a blessed day.

Ezekiel 32:1-2a In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, take up a lament concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him:”

Commentary says that this prophecy was delivered “after any hope Judah had in Egypt for help was passed.” I wonder what the attitude of the people was. Was Egypt bragging about their power? Were the Israelites waiting to see if God would call Egypt to task?

Ezekiel 32:2b …“‘You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a monster in the seas thrashing about in your streams, churning the water with your feet and muddying the streams.’”

Would I have been angry, feeling like Egypt got away with something, stewing over the fact that God wasn’t acting on my timetable, that He wasn’t showing them who’s boss? Sadly, I probably would have. I can be like that. But again God is calling me to put away my gavel and leave the judging to Him. I’m not qualified to judge others. And I don’t want others judging me. God’s got the situation firmly in hand.

Ezekiel 32:9 “‘I will trouble the hearts of many peoples when I bring about your destruction among the nations, among lands you have not known.’”

Lord, Thank You for the reminder that I am judge and jury to no one. Thank You for the reminder that You are in control, You see, You know, You give opportunity after opportunity to repent and return, You want us to come back to You so we can enjoy the fruits of Your love. It’s hard to humble ourselves, Lord. It’s hard to admit when we get “too big for our britches.” Help us. Forgive us. Draw us closer. Amen.

Ezekiel 32:10 “‘I will cause many peoples to be appalled at you, and their kings will shudder with horror because of you when I brandish my sword before them. On the day of your downfall each of them will tremble every moment for his life.’”

Have a blessed day. I love you.

Ezekiel 31:10 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because the great cedar towered over the thick foliage, and because it was proud of its height….’”

Again we have pride rearing its ugly head. In this case, it’s Egypt’s pride. Again we have God giving the proud over to the wicked to be dealt with. We’ve seen this motif over and over (and over) in the Bible. My gut wants to ask “Why are humans so incredibly slow that we haven’t caught on,” but I think the issue goes deeper than that.

Ezekiel 31:11 “‘…I gave it into the hands of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside….’”

When things are bad, it is easy for me to cling to God. There are no other options and life is falling apart anyway. It is when things start going well that the trouble comes. I forget how much I needed God because I’ve found my feet. Then, in true human fashion, I start to feel like my gain is my doing and that I’m owed the good things in life. That’s pride. The cycle continues.

Ezekiel 31:12 “‘…and the most ruthless of foreign nations cut it down and left it. Its boughs fell on the mountains and in all the valleys; its branches lay broken in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth came out from under its shade and left it.’”

Lord, Forgive me for my pride. Forgive me for the times when I forget my deep need for You. Help me cling to You always, every day. Help me remember to keep You at my center, to praise You, to glorify You, always. Draw me closer. Amen.

Ezekiel 31:13 “‘All the birds settled on the fallen tree, and all the wild animals lived among its branches.’”

Have a blessed day.

Ezekiel 30:10 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘I will put an end to the hordes of Egypt by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.’”

It occurred to me as I read today’s chapter that I have always read sections such as these as though God is jealous—jealous of Egypt because Israel put its faith in Egypt and not God. And while I can see how my earthly self might read it that way, the God of all creation being jealous of anything does not hold true.

Ezekiel 30:12 “‘I will dry up the waters of the Nile and sell the land to an evil nation; by the hand of foreigners I will lay waste the land and everything in it. I the Lord have spoken.’”

God loves His children. He wants what’s best for them. And what’s best for the Israelites is not putting their trust in Egypt, certainly not trusting Egypt above trusting God.

Ezekiel 30:19 “‘So I will inflict punishment on Egypt, and they will know that I am the Lord.’”

Lord, I don’t like the image of You as a jealous God. That doesn’t square with the understanding I have of who You are and how You function. I also don’t want to be like the Israelites, trusting in earthly strength while turning my back on Your eternal love. Help me to seek You always. Help me to trust You above earthly strength. Help me to be humble in You and to shine Your light for all. Amen.

Ezekiel 30:26 “I will disperse the Egyptians among the nations and scatter them through the countries. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Have a blessed day.

Ezekiel 28:17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.

This chapter is all about the dangers of pride. Interestingly, some think the King of Tyre discussed here is Satan, that this chapter describes his fall from grace. A quick search says that not everyone subscribes to that theory. Regardless, this chapter looks at the insidious, destructive nature of pride.

Ezekiel 28:18 By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching.

Unfortunately, pride is part of the human condition. I know I’ve definitely had times where I thought I earned something or deserved something I did not get. I’ve had times where I thought I should be given something just because of who I was. Going down that rabbit hole can lead nowhere good. Sometimes I think not getting those things I thought I’d earned or deserved was the greatest gift. Not getting those things kept me from the sin of pride.

Ezekiel 28:19a All the nations who knew you are appalled at you….

Lord, Thank You for speaking to my heart this morning. I am human. Pride is something I struggle with. Thank You for keeping me humble in You. Help me resist this world’s pull toward pride. Draw me closer. Amen.

Ezekiel 28:19b …you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.

Have a blessed day.