God Raises and God Puts Down

 Scripture:

“All the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD. I make the high tree low; I raise up the low tree. I make the green tree wither, and I make the dry tree sprout. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it!’”” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭17‬:‭24‬ ‭NET‬

Observation:

The LORD had been telling Israel all hers sins and the punishment for them. He listed to them exactly what they had done and told them that they had prostituted themselves with other gods. At the end of this chapter, the LORD says something powerful, “I make the high tree low; I raise up the low tree. I make the green tree wither, and I make the dry tree sprout.” In other words, God can change anything. He can raise up and He can put down.

Application:

If God can raise up and put down, then our best response is obedience in every area. We are to trust the Lord and serve Him. We shouldn’t promote ourselves, but let Him work in our lives. He can make things happen that we have no power over. He can lift us up or put us down quickly. Our trust must be in Him. Our obedience, must follow our trust.

Prayer:

Father, help me to follow You well. Let my life bring You honor. I trust You with all I am and all I have. You are good and Your mercies are new every morning. Your faithfulness is great! Teach me to walk in a way You can bless.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Then They Will Know

 Scripture:

““Then they will know that I am the LORD when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them among foreign countries.” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭12‬:‭15‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Throughout the book of Ezekiel you hear the phrase, “then they will know that I am the LORD.” It is also through many of the prophets. Through the prophets one can hear the voice of the Lord telling His people that He wants them to know who He is and what they are missing out on. Sometimes when He blesses a people he says, “then they will know I am the LORD.” Sometimes when He curses a people, he says, “then they will know I am the LORD.” The bottom line is that God wants us to know He is God and that He is all powerful. 

Application:

God is looking for a people who will realize that He is all-powerful. He wants a people who know He is God Almighty. I want to respond by following Him completely and letting Him know that He is God over everything and everyone. He is the Most High God. I KNOW He is God and I want to serve Him completely.

Prayer:

LORD, You are awesome and I love You. You are the LORD of heaven and earth. You are God Most High, avoid every other thing. You are amazing and it is an honor to serve You. Help me to worship You as You want to be worshiped. Let my life be used for Your glory and the honor of Your name. Teach me to serve You well as I endeavor to represent You to those Your entrusted to me. Let my life be pleasing to You in every way and let is say, “I know You are the LORD”

Yours, 

Jeff

The Voice of God

 Scripture:

“The sound of the wings of the cherubim could be heard from the outer court, like the sound of the sovereign God when he speaks.” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭10‬:‭5‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

Scripturally, there are times when God’s voice is loud like a trumpet, shaking the heavens and the earth. There are times when His enemies shudder at the sound of His voice. In this passage, Ezekiel encounters the strong sound of the wings of the cherubim and compares the sound to the voice of God when He speaks. Apparently, Ezekiel didn’t always hear the still, small voice, but at times encountered the thinned ring voice of the Almighty. 

Application:

I have learned to be sensitive to the still, small, voice of God in my life, but have always longed to hear the powerful, strong, thunderous voice of God that is undeniable. I want to encounter God is new ways and to experience His strong presence and voice. I long to hear the audible voice of God. Honestly, it is mostly because I don’t want to miss out on anything God wants me to do, so it would be easier to hear an audible voice. I want to hear clearly and obey diligently. 

Prayer:

Father, once again I come to You. Let my ears be open to hear Your voice clearly. I want to hear the thunderous voice of the Almighty. I long to know Your will for my life at all times. I love Your still, small, voice, but I want to speak accurately what You are speaking to Your people. Help me to hear better, but I also ask You to let me hear Your audible voice at times as men in the Bible seem to have heard it.

Forever Yours,

Jeff

Then They Will Know

Scripture:

“The king will mourn and the prince will be clothed with shuddering; the hands of the people of the land will tremble. Based on their behavior I will deal with them, and by their standard of justice I will judge them. Then they will know that I am the LORD!”” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭7‬:‭27‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

In our chapters today, God is speaking through Ezekiel about the terrible things that are coming on God’s people. He is saying that devastating judgment is coming Israel and Judah because of their continual sin and disobedience. In the midst of some devastating chapters, you still hear the heart of the Lord when He says, “Then they will know that I am the LORD!”

Application:

Even in the harshest discipline, the heart of the LORD is demonstrated when He says they will then know he is the LORD. I believe it is a whole lot better to acknowledge and serve Him before we have to face judgment, than to have to endure judgment in order to know Him. As for me, I want to walk in obedience, and not face God’s discipline, but it is beautiful to know that even in discipline, His heart is for people to know He is God.

Prayer:

Father, I want the world to know You are God Almighty. Let my life be used for Your glory. Teach me to walk in step with You and to obey everything You give me to do. I want to serve You well and I long to hear You say, “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord.” Let Your favor rest on my life and on everything I do. Let me live for Your glory and declare Your name to the nations of the world. 

Yours Forever, 

Jeff

Speak Truth and Leave it to God

 Scripture:

“You must speak my words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious.” ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

When Ezekiel was called by God to be a prophet to the people of Israel, the Lord prepared him. He told Ezekiel that they were hard hearted and would not listen to him. Even though he was told they would not repent and turn, he was given the mandate to tell them the truth and prophesy. In this verse he was told by God that he had to speak God’s words, whether they listen or not because they are rebellious.

Application:

There are times when God will ask us to do hard things. He always prepares us for those moments. He expects no less than obedience to His call, even when His call is hard. Our job is to deliver the message and do our part. We are not to evaluate outcomes when it comes to obedience. Many times as a pastor, this is difficult because we want good outcomes and for people to hear and change when we speak. The reality is, we are accountable to God to lead and speak whatever He puts in our hearts. We must then be good with the results. 

Prayer:

Father, help me to follow Your voice completely and to do what You speak to me. Teach me to walk in complete obedience, even when that doesn’t make sense to me. Let me hear Your voice clearly, that I may convey Your message to Your people well. Teach me to walk in step with You all the days of my life and to represent Your and Your message well.

Yours Forever,

Jeff

Do Good and Share

 Scripture:

“And do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭16‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

As the letter to the Hebrews comes to a close, the author gives out some things to do and to think about. This simple phrase is a great reminder of how we should live our lives. He tells us not to neglect doing good and sharing what we have. He then adds one comment, “God is pleased with such sacrifices.” 

Application:

I want to live a life that God is pleased with. I understand works and don’t feel I need to work for my salvation, but I do want to live a life that God can bless and that God can honor. I want to do the things that please Him because He has done so much for me. I need to share what I have and do good at every opportunity, because this pleases God.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, show me daily how I can be a blessing to others. Help me not to neglect doing good and and sharing what I have with others. I want to be a generous person and a helpful person. Guide me into opportunities and provide the resources so I can be a blessing to more and more people.

Yours,

Jeff

Our High Priest

 Scripture:

“So he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭7‬:‭25‬ ‭NET‬‬

Observation:

The author of Hebrews was talking about priests who had to offer their sacrifices for their own sins, then the sins of the people. Since Christ lived a perfect life, died, and rose again from the dead, He always lives to intercede for us. He doesn’t have to get cleaned so He can make us clean. We are clean because He is clean and He continues to make intercession for us. 

Application:

We have the perfect high priest. Jesus did everything required for Himself and for us. When we trust Him with our lives, we are justified by His blood. We must live, not wondering if we have been forgiven, but knowing that we have a better priest who died once, and now lives to intercede for us. We are made holy because He is holy. We are righteous because He is righteous. He is able to save us completely because He is perfect, not because we are perfect.

Prayer:

Lord, You are good and Your mercy and loving kindness are forever. Thank You for paying the ultimate price to be the perfect high priest. Thank You for interceding and working in my life to keep me on track. Guide me by Your Spirit every day and let my life bring Your praise. 

Forever Yours,

Jeff