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My center…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 27:25 “‘The ships of Tarshish serve as carriers for your wares. You are filled with heavy cargo as you sail the sea.”
Psalm 46:5 comes heavily to mind as I read this chapter: “God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it.” Just like yesterday, the issue here is one of sharp contrasts. In the Psalm, because God is in the city, the city cannot be destroyed. In this chapter, the city of Tyre is a powerful, magnificent trading port, yet God is no where within the city. All the riches, all the beauty and craftsmanship, all the money and power come to absolutely nothing without God at its center.
Ezekiel 27:26 “Your oarsmen take you out to the high seas. But the east wind will break you to pieces far out at sea.”
For me, the message is easy to connect to our modern life. There is so much value placed on appearances, on wealth and power and influence. So many are chasing the almighty dollar or pervasive influence over others. But if God isn’t within us, if He’s not our center, we can’t stand. This world is not our home. Our end goal is not here. Our reward is in heaven. Jesus, Help me never forget that.
Ezekiel 27:27 “Your wealth, merchandise and wares, your mariners, sailors and shipwrights, your merchants and all your soldiers, and everyone else on board will sink into the heart of the sea on the day of your shipwreck.”
Lord, Thank You for the reminder that this world is not my home, that I am not chasing the things the world deems important. Help me to keep You at my center so that I can stand strong in You. Amen.
Ezekiel 27:28 “The shorelands will quake when your sailors cry out.”
Have a blessed day.
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Pondering the lesson…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 26:19 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I make you a desolate city, like cities no longer inhabited, and when I bring the ocean depths over you and its vast waters cover you….”
What struck me as I read this chapter this morning was verse 21 and how similar yet utterly different it is from Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” When we seek God, truly seek God with all our heart, we will find Him. Always. Yet in this chapter, Tyre who is profiting from Jerusalem’s destruction, will be dealt with by God, to the point that even those intentionally seeking Tyre will not be able to find it.
Ezekiel 26:20a “…then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit, to the people of long ago….”
Pondering the lesson here: when we seek God—seek to find Him, to know Him—we will find Him. He wants us to know Him. He knows that we can only find true peace and contentment through Him. Yet when we seek to elevate ourselves—profiting from the misfortune of others like Tyre—God will bring us low because He knows that the way of the world will never bring us a full life and bringing us low will lead us back to Him.
Ezekiel 26:20b “…I will make you dwell in the earth below, as in ancient ruins, with those who go down to the pit, and you will not return or take your place in the land of the living.”
Lord, Thank You for allowing me to hear Your voice each morning. Thank You for the reminder that You are my future, my present, every good thing in my life. Please don’t ever let me lose sight of the need to keep You at my center. Please help me always to seek, to listen, to know Your voice. Amen.
Ezekiel 26:21 “I will bring you to a horrible end and you will be no more. You will be sought, but you will never again be found, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
Have a blessed day.
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Letting go of my gavel…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 25:1-2 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites and prophesy against them.
There is so much I don’t understand about God and the Bible. But I have learned that if I earnestly seek, if I sit with His word, if I read and study and pay attention, He always speaks to my heart. Always. Today’s lesson seems to be a reminder that I need to let God take care of judgement. That is not my call.
Ezekiel 25:8-9 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Moab and Seir said, “Look, Judah has become like all the other nations,” therefore I will expose the flank of Moab, beginning at its frontier towns….
I know I’m not the only one who gets indignant when it looks like someone is going to get away with something. God used the Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, and Philistines to bring judgement on His people, but that didn’t mean they got away with their own sins. God is calling them to account, too. He’s got the situation firmly in hand. I can let go of my gavel.
Ezekiel 25:12-13 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because Edom took revenge on Judah and became very guilty by doing so, therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will stretch out my hand against Edom and kill both man and beast. I will lay it waste….
Lord, Thank You for always speaking to my heart—even if, in my confusion, it’s just to tell me that You are with me—sovereign, merciful, loving. Thank You for the reminder that You need me to love Your people, not judge them. Help me to lay down my gavel. Draw me closer daily. Amen.
Ezekiel 25:15-16 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because the Philistines acted in vengeance and took revenge with malice in their hearts, and with ancient hostility sought to destroy Judah, therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines, and I will wipe out the Kerethites and destroy those remaining along the coast.
Have a blessed day.
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Closer with each breath…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 24:15 The word of the Lord came to me: 
Lord, Sometimes life just doesn’t make sense. But You promise to never leave me nor forsake me. Thank You.
Ezekiel 24:16 “Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.”
Lord, You know I like to know the “why” of life, but that’s not always possible or necessary. Help me to trust, even when I don’t understand.
Ezekiel 24:17 “Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover your mustache and beard or eat the customary food of mourners.”
Lord, You know my heart. You know my fears, worries, doubts. Help me to lay them all at Your feet and surround myself instead with Your peace. Draw me closer with each breath. Amen.
Ezekiel 24:18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.
Have a blessed day.
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The Sovereign Lord…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 23:35 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, you must bear the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution.”
This is a rather rough chapter in its imagery and analogies. Commentary says, “The course language was used to shock, and to reflect God’s own disgust with Jerusalem’s sins.” Even now, even with judgement a certainty, God was still trying to get through to His people.
Ezekiel 23:48 “So I will put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you.” 
Commentary also says of verse 49, “The severity of conquest and exile had a purpose greater than punishment. The ultimate purpose was to reveal God in both His judgements and His gracious restorations.” Even now, even when the people had turned so grievously from God, He is still the God of compassion, seeking ultimate restoration.
Ezekiel 23:49a “You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry….”
Lord, These chapters are hard for me. Israel keeps being disobedient. You keep trying to help them see Your way, but You continue to let them choose, even knowing they will choose wrong, because Your goal is ultimately their restoration. Give me peace and hope as I continue through these chapters. Help me to draw closer to You through Your word. Amen.
Ezekiel 23:49b “…Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.”
Have a blessed day.
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To draw their hearts back to Him…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 22:14 “Will your courage endure or your hands be strong in the day I deal with you? I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.”
Just like in the chapters and chapters of calls to return and repent, God is laying out chapters and chapters of “this is why you are facing My judgement.” As one who incessantly asks “Why?” in any given situation, I can appreciate His thoroughness. He doesn’t want anyone confused about why this judgement is coming.
Ezekiel 22:15 “I will disperse you among the nations and scatter you through the countries; and I will put an end to your uncleanness.”
And just like the promise, chapter after chapter, that if they repent and return, He will restore right relationship, this alerting of judgement, chapter after chapter, also contains hope—in verse 22. Commentary says: “As terrible as the burning of Jerusalem and exile would be, it would purify Israel even through the judgement.” This judgement is another attempt to draw their hearts back to Him.
Ezekiel 22:16 “‘When you have been defiled in the eyes of the nations, you will know that I am the Lord.’”
God of hope, Thank You for Your compassion and grace. Thank You for Your desire for relationship, for communion. Thank You for explanations that we don’t deserve, for hope that we desperately need, for love beyond our wildest dreams. Help us to seek You, to put You first Always. Draw us closer. Amen.
Ezekiel 22:22 “‘As silver is melted in a furnace, so you will be melted inside her, and you will know that I the Lord have poured out my wrath on you.’”
Have a blessed day.
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The hope of the Lord…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 21:3 …and say to her: ‘This is what the Lord says: I am against you. I will draw my sword from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.
The people ignored the signs and the warnings and the prophecies of the coming judgement for a very long time. And while it’s easy for me to sit in judgment, I get it. When you are riding high, you begin to feel untouchable, like nothing can go against you, like life will always go your way. It’s easy to shut out the nagging voice that says you’re headed the wrong way.
Ezekiel 21:6 “Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief.
Not surprisingly, I guess, since hope is so important to me, in the midst of all the bad news of the coming destruction (brought on by the Israelites refusal to return and repent), I still see the hope of the Lord in verse 27 of this chapter. Yes, it’s going to get really bad. Judgement is never pleasant. But it won’t always be that way. Restoration is coming eventually. God hasn’t turned His back forever.
Ezekiel 21:7 And when they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt with fear and every hand go limp; every spirit will become faint and every leg will be wet with urine.’ It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
Lord, Forgive me when I don’t listen and don’t heed Your voice. Forgive me when I get caught up in the ways of the world and lose sight of my purpose in You. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51:10). Help me hold on to You with both hands. Draw me closer. Amen.
Ezekiel 21:27 A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! The crown will not be restored until he to whom it rightfully belongs shall come; to him I will give it.’
Have a blessed day.
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For my good and Your glory…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 20:7 And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”
The expression “for my good and His glory” keeps running through my mind as I read today’s chapter. Interestingly, I thought that idea came straight from scripture, and while I found lots of verses about God’s glory, I didn’t find one that contained this specific combination of God acting for my good AND His glory.
Ezekiel 20:9 But for the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt. I did it to keep my name from being profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites.
Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” and Romans 11:36 “For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen” are the two closest scriptures I could find. And yet, everything God does for His glory benefits me for my good. Not destroying me for my sins so that His name may be glorified is absolutely to my benefit, even when He rightfully gets the glory. For this compassion, I am eternally grateful.
Ezekiel 20:14 But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.
Lord, Thank You that the words “for my good and Your glory” are intertwined in my mind and my study of scripture. Everything You do brings me closer to You, which is absolutely for my good. May Your name be glorified always, Lord. Amen.
Ezekiel 20:22 But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.
Have a blessed day.
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Our own stubborn pride…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 19:10 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of abundant water.’”
The last line of Ezekiel 19:14 is pretty clear: “This is a lament and is to be used as a lament.” The time for voluntary repentance and return has passed. Now is time for judgment. I truly doubt the Israelites, so used to wallowing in their own sin, had any real concept of the significance, but Ezekiel did. God did.
Ezekiel 19:11 “‘Its branches were strong, fit for a ruler’s scepter. It towered high above the thick foliage, conspicuous for its height and for its many branches.’”
Of course I’ve not yet seen God face-to-face and I’m limited by my human perspective, but I think this was not just an official lament to be carried out by the prophet. I think God cares deeply about His children, wants them to follow Him and live abundant, full lives. I think it hurts His heart when we choose our own stubborn pride over His provision.
Ezekiel 19:12 “‘But it was uprooted in fury and thrown to the ground. The east wind made it shrivel, it was stripped of its fruit; its strong branches withered and fire consumed them.’”
Lord, Thank You for this glimpse into Your heart. Thank You that You love us so much that You lament when we choose our will over Yours. Help me to keep You as the center of my life. Always. Amen.
Ezekiel 19:14 “‘Fire spread from one of its main branches and consumed its fruit. No strong branch is left on it fit for a ruler’s scepter.’ “This is a lament and is to be used as a lament.”
Have a blessed day.
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Daily tending…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 18:30a “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord….”
Ezekiel 18:31 brought to mind strongly Psalm 51:10: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Interestingly, the entire passage makes me think of my kitchen rug, the one right by the outside door.
Ezekiel 18:30b “…Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall.” 
If I want that rug to stay in place so that it can catch dirt from incoming shoes, I have to keep an eye on it. It gets wadded up behind the door, so I have to straighten it. It really does collect dirt, so I have to shake it out and occasionally vacuum it. I have to tend it. My heart is startlingly similar. I have to tend it, realign it when it gets knocked out of place, shake out the dirt and clean it with regularity.
Ezekiel 18:31 “Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel?”
Lord, Thank You for laying these verses on my heart, for reminding me that my heart needs daily tending to be sure it is aligned with You, for the reminder that my spirit needs renewal and You are the only source. Draw me closer. Amen.
Ezekiel 18:32 “For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!”
Have a blessed day.