Posted on

An end to pride…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 7:20 They took pride in their beautiful jewelry and used it to make their detestable idols. They made it into vile images; therefore I will make it a thing unclean for them.
Pride has reared its ugly head again in this chapter. God’s people have become proud and vain. They took His abundant blessings and turned them into idols instead of using His blessings for His work and remembering that He is their center. They became self-sufficient money-grubbing social climbers instead of leaning into His goodness.
Ezekiel 7:21 I will give their wealth as plunder to foreigners and as loot to the wicked of the earth, who will defile it.
God tried many, many different ways to help His people see the error of their pride, but they were so enamored of themselves and their idols (wealth, power, beauty, etc) that they couldn’t even see that their pride had led them so very far away. God knew that if He wanted His people to return to Him—which was the only way for them to truly live a good life—He had to break utterly their stubborn pride so that they could see their way back to Him.
Ezekiel 7:22 I will turn my face away from the people, and robbers will desecrate the place I treasure. They will enter it and will defile it.
Lord, I don’t even pretend to understand the way that You work, but I know You love us fiercely and You value our relationship with You. I know pride can rear its ugly head in so many ways, and pride causes us to elevate ourselves and our rights and abilities unnaturally and in an unhealthy way. Help me to keep You at my center. When my pride rears its head, help me humble myself before You. Draw me closer. Always. Amen.
Ezekiel 7:24 I will bring the most wicked of nations to take possession of their houses. I will put an end to the pride of the mighty, and their sanctuaries will be desecrated.
Have a blessed day.
Posted on

Relationship matters…. (devo reflection)

Ezekiel 6:8 “‘But I will spare some, for some of you will escape the sword when you are scattered among the lands and nations.’”
God is grieved when we turn our hearts from Him (see verse 9a below). Soak that in for just a moment. The God of all creation, maker of heaven and earth, loves YOU so much that He is grieved, cut to the quick, when you turn your heart from Him.
Ezekiel 6:9a “‘Then in the nations where they have been carried captive, those who escape will remember me—how I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts, which have turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their idols….’”
For me, that truth is incredibly powerful. I believe in a God who values relationship with His creations. I believe that that relationship is the point—we are here to seek Him, to know Him, to love Him MORE, and to point others to Him. There’s a lot going on in this chapter, there are things that I truly don’t understand, can’t reconcile, but I cling to this truth with both hands.
Ezekiel 6:9b ‘“…They will loathe themselves for the evil they have done and for all their detestable practices.’”
Lord, You tell us that You will never leave us nor forsake us. You tell us You are with us always. You tell us that we will find You when we seek You with our whole hearts, and still we doubt the value You place on Your relationship with us. Forgive us for being so dense. Thank You for Your fierce love. Draw us closer. Amen.
Ezekiel 6:10 “‘And they will know that I am the Lord; I did not threaten in vain to bring this calamity on them.’”
Have a blessed day.
Posted on

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.
Posted on

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.
Posted on

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.
Posted on

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.
Posted on

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.
Posted on

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.
Posted on

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.
Posted on

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.