Life Where the Water Flows

Scripture:

Ezekiel 47:9 "There will be swarms of living things wherever the water of this river flows. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will become fresh. Life will flourish wherever this water flows".

Observation:

Ezekiel is taken by the Spirit to the Temple and observes water coming from the threshold and it gets deeper as it goes away from the Temple. Wherever this water flows, life comes! Trees are on both sides that are extremely fruitful. They produce fruit every month and there are fish of every kind in the water. Life even comes to the Dead Sea because of this river.

Application:

Jesus said that out of our hearts would flow rivers of living water. Wherever we go, life should flow out of us. Healing should flow naturally everywhere we go, because the river is in us and wants to flow out of us to heal the world. Ezekiel said that life flourishes everywhere the river flows. We should bring life everywhere we go! Our lives should bring life and healing to everyone we meet. Let the river flow!

Prayer:

Lord, Let Your river of life flow through me today. Let me lead someone to Christ today. Let me pray for a sick person today. Let your life flow through me to bring life to someone else today. I give you my life. Work through it to bring life, love and liberty to those I come in contact with today.

Your Son,

Jeff

Absolute Holiness

Scripture:

Ezekiel 43:12 "and this is the basic law of the Temple: Absolute holiness! The entire top of the mountain where the Temple is built is holy. Yes, this is the basic law of the Temple".

Observation:

The Lord had shown Ezekiel the reconstruction of the Temple and given his all the instructions and plans about how it was to be designed. He is shifting from talking about the Temple itself to talking about the Priests and their function in the Temple. He had one basic law: absolute holiness! God would settle with nothing but absolute holiness when entering His Temple. He expected his people to do what He told them to do and live how he told them to live.

Application:

We don't hear much about holiness these days in the body of Christ. Even the NT says that without holiness no man will see the Lord. Jesus paid the price for our sins and to give us access to the throne of God, yet there is some work to be done on our part. He wants us to come out from among the rest of this world and be holy. He expects His people to be different than others. He still wants absolute holiness, because absolute holiness shows absolute love. If I really love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, then I will want to live a life that pleases Him and bring Him honor.

Prayer:

Father, thanks for opening Your word to me this morning! You are amazing and I love you more every day. Help me to live a life that will bring your glory and that you will bless. Show me how to live in absolute holiness in this New Testament era. I want my life to be holy, not by my terms or someone else's terms, but by Your terms. Make my holy.

Yours,
Jeff

Separation of Holy and Unholy

Scripture:

Ezekiel 42:20 "So the area was 875 feet on each side with a wall all around it to separate what was holy from what was common".

Observation:

Ezekiel 40-42 are descriptions with incredibly accurate measurements of the Temple area. Every detail is spelled out in these chapters. Everything was amazingly balanced on every side and the detail was ornate. At the end of all this beautiful detail about the temple, Ezekiel says, "a wall all around it to separate what was holy from what was common". In the Old Testament the holy and the common never touched each other. What was holy, never came in contact with that which was considered common. Today we have this temple, our earthly bodies, filled the same presence of God that stayed in the temple. The holy is inside the common.

Application:

There was great detail in the OT given to separating the holy from the unholy. Today we feel like we can live any way we want and have God's blessing on our lives. We are saved through grace, but there is an element called sanctification that every believer should walk through. Sanctified means "separated". It is the process of spiritual growth where a believer separates from sin and separates his life fully to God. God wants a holy people who are separated for His purposes. This isn't done with walls made by human hands, but by a process in our hearts where His will becomes more important than anything else in our lives.

Prayer:

Lord, Sanctify me. Purify me and make me clean. I want to be used for Your glory and want my life to lift up your name. Cleanse me Lord and separate me for your purposes. Help me to walk in the world, but not be of the world. I love you Lord and want to be more like you every day.

yours,

Jeff

Can these Bones Live?

Scripture:

Ezekiel 37:3 "Then He asked me, "Son of Man, can these bones live?""

Observation:

Sometimes God will ask us a question that only He knows the answer to. Usually it is a test of faith to see our response to him in that situation. God shows Ezekiel a valley full of dry bones and asks him "Can these bones live?" Ezekiel has a great answer, "only you know Lord". God asks him a question that must have really made him think. Can these dried out bones actually live again?

Application:

Sometimes God will ask us a difficult question because he wants to see our response. With Him "Nothing" is impossible. With Him that answer is always yes. There is nothing that He cannot do. When we see impossible situations, God sees the possible. When we see dead bones, God sees armies of living men. When we see hopelessness, God knows that we can have hope. He is unlimited in power and in perspective. He sees what we cannot see. Therefore, we must trust Him at all times.

Prayer:

Father, help me to see what you see. Teach me to walk by faith and not by what I see. I want to grow in faith and trust you more every day. Hear my cry this morning Lord. I want my faith to touch Your heart. I want to bless your name at all times and see things how you see them.

Satan's Background Check

Scripture:

Ezekiel 28:17 "Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty. Your wisdom was corrupted by your live of splendor. So I threw you to the ground and exposed you to the curious gaze of kings".

Observation:

The King of Tyre in Ezekiel 28 is really a background of Satan. It says of the King of The King of Tyre that he was in Eden, was beautiful and full of precious stones. It said that he could walk in the holy mountain of God. Satan was God's most prized creation, but he got prideful and said he would exalt his name above God, therefore "I threw you to the ground". Why? His heart was filled with pride because of all his beauty.

Application:

Satan was kicked out of heaven for one main reason, PRIDE! It is the same thing he uses today to destroy lives. God is in total opposition to pride and He gives grace to the humble. Pride destroys people from within. Satan uses it because he know all too well how much God hates pride. He will give you a little success to see if he can trap you in pride and arrogance. Pride says, "I can do this by myself. I don't need God." This is Satan's kind of pride and it always stems from him. Keep a teachable spirit and don't become proud. Remain humble and let God raise you up.

Prayer:

Father, I want to walk with You deeper and I know you hate pride. Help me to humble myself before you. Rebuke me when I start into pride. Keep me on the straight and narrow. I want your correction and I want to become all you have planned for me. I love you and give you all of me.

Yours,
Jeff

Then They Will Know that I am the Lord

Scripture:

Ezekiel 25:11 "In the same way, I will bring my judgment down on the Moabites. Then they will know that I am the Lord".

Observation:

Throughout the book of Ezekiel I have noticed this phrase over and over, "Then they will know that I am the Lord". In chapter 25 God pronounces judgment on all of the areas surrounding Israel. At the end of each of them He says, "Then they will know that I am the Lord". God reveals Himself in many different ways, but with one desire, that people would know that He is the Lord.

Application:

God desires to be Lord over our lives, our homes, our jobs, and everything in our lives. He has always wanted His people, from OT times, to know that He is the Lord. The only way to acknowledge this and live by it is to submit every area of our lives to Him. He is Lord! When we believe that and walk accordingly, His blessing will overtake us. He knows best and when we surrender our lives to Him, we are better off.

Prayer:

Lord, your word is truth. You are Lord over all! Your name is above every name and I ask you to help me live my life bringing you glory. I know in every nation, You want them to know that You are Lord. Help me to extend your kingdom throughout the earth "that they may know that You are Lord". I want the world to know that you are Lord of all!

Yours,
Jeff

A Message for the Priests

Scripture:

Ezekiel 22:26 "Your priests have violated my instructions and defiled my holy things. They make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. And they do not teach my people the difference between what is ceremonially clean and unclean. They disregard my Sabbath days so that I am dishonored among them".

Observation:

God has been pronouncing judgment against His people for their rebellion toward Him. now He turns his attention to the priests who do not distinguish between the holy and the unholy. Teachers, priests, etc. have a strong influence which needs to be used in the right way. If the priests don't teach the whole council of God, the sheep live terrible lives.

Application:

As a pastor, I am responsible to preach all of God's word. I must let people know what is right and what is wrong. I will be held responsible for what I teach and preach the people God has entrusted to me. We must "rightly divide the word of truth" and teach God's people truth instead of what they want to hear. Sometimes it's easier to give people what they want to hear rather than give them what they don't like, but what is good for them.

Prayer:

Father, help me to listen close to Your voice and to preach and teach what You want me to instead of what is popular. I want to stand before Your one day and hear, "Well done good and faithful servant". I want to give the people you have entrusted to me exactly what they need and not only what makes them feel good.

Yours,

Jeff

Obedience Gives Life

Scripture:

Ezekiel 20:13 "But the people of Israel rebelled against Me, ans they refused to obey my decrees there in the wilderness. They wouldn't obey my regulations even though obedience would have given them life".

Observation:

Ezekiel is once again crying out about the sins of Israel. God was grieved with Israel because he had brought them out of Egypt and then they turned around and worshiped other gods. Though he had done much for them, they would not follow his decrees. God says, "They wouldn't obey my regulations even though obedience would have given them life". Obedience brings life, disobedience brings death.

Application:

We are under grace and not law today, but God still is looking for a people who walk in obedience to him. Life comes from obedience! God is a good God who loves us and wants to bless us, but he only blesses obedience. Sometimes obedience seems wearisome because we like to do what we want to do. I have found that following Jesus and doing what he is asking, whether it feels good in the present or not, always brings his blessing, and I don't want to live outside his blessing.

Prayer:

Teach me Lord to walk in obedience to you and your word. Speak to me every day and help me have a heart to follow after what you put in it to do. I want to serve you well and I want to live the blessed life. I love you Lord.

Your Servant,
Jeff

Turn Back and Live!

Scripture:

Ezekiel 18:32 "I don't want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live!"

Observation:

Ezekiel has been prophesying the destruction of God's people for being like prostitutes and running after other gods. They were worshiping false gods and even sacrificing their children to them. God speaks here about holding sins against people who turn around and repent. He says that judgment is coming, but turn back and live. When we get off track with God, we must be quick to hear His voice and turn back to him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. This brings life!

Application:

Sometimes when we mess up in life, we don't want to approach God because we know we have blown it. We try to hide the sin or act like everything is okay when it isn't. God sees all and He would rather you face it, deal with it, repent and then He will bring life. He tells us to "turn back and live!" Life is in Him. Joy is in Him. Strength is in Him. Always turn to Him and not away! He is waiting for us.

Prayer:

Lord, keep my heart pure before You. You are awesome and I give you praise! Let me hear Your voice speak to me when I mess up and let me quickly run back to You. It is true that repentance bring life. Let me always be quick to repent and not allow pride to keep me from You. You are the best!

Jeff

God Marks His Own

Scripture:

Ezekiel 9:5 "Then I heard the Lord say to the other men, 'Follow him through the city and kill everyone whose forehead is not marked. Show no mercy; have no pity'"

Observation:

Ezekiel was once again prophesying Israel's destruction, but in a vision the Lord told Ezekiel to walk through the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the forehead of everyone who was weeping and sighing because of the sins of Jerusalem. God marked those who had repentant hearts! Those who were convicted of their sins and felt remorse for them were marked and spared from death. Before God's wrath ever comes, He sets his true remnant apart and marks them so they don't die for someone else's sins.

Application:

It's all about the heart. I'm sure some were crying because of what was coming, but those crying because they were sorrowful for their sins, were marked and were not to be punished with the rest. We must be a people who are quick to respond and repent when sin finds its way into our lives. In the New Testament god says we are "sealed" by the Holy Spirit. It is a mark on true believers who are following after the Lord. God loves us and never puts His true kids through his wrath. We need to be people who are quick to respond to the Lord when He convicts us of something.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, You are amazing, incredible and all-powerful! Thank you for being fair and just when your judgment comes. Thank you for sealing me for the day of redemption. Thank you for protecting those who truly love and honor you. Keep me in the center of Your will every day.

Yours,
Jeff

God's Plans

Scripture:

Ezekiel 6:9 "Then when they are exiled among the nations, they will remember Me. They will recognize how hurt I am by their unfaithful hearts".

Observation:

Ezekiel is prophesying incredible doom for Israel. God has given him a message of utter devastation for God's people because of the hardness of their hearts and their running after idols instead of the living God. Through all of the prophesied destruction and exile God is speaking to them, you can still see His plan. His motivation is that when they have been wiped out by other nations, they will remember Him and see how much their actions have hurt him. He brought destruction on them, to turn their hearts back to Him and cause them to seek him again.

Application:

God longs for a people who will love Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. Here He planned a massive defeat in Israel simply so they would turn back to him He will go out of his way to get our attention and get us to turn to him with everything. We must recognize this before we have to go through things and seek him before things get bad. We must become God seekers when things are going good.

Prayer:

Lord, you got my attention this morning. Thank you for your incredible desire for your people. Even when it looks like you are punishing for ungodliness, your plan is our redemption and bringing us back into alignment with You. Help me to worship you when things are good and when things are bad.

Love You,

Jeff

Give the Message

Scripture:

Ezekiel 2:7 "You must give them my messages whether they listen or not. But they won't listen, for they are completely rebellious!"

Observation:

Ezekiel was given a very hard task. He was to deliver messages to a rebellious people who, ahead of time, he was told would not listen to him. He was basically told that he would never be popular and that those who heard him would hate him for his message because they were completely rebellious. God told Ezekiel, you must give them my message whether they listen or not.

Application:

When God wants to give a message, it should be given whether it feels good to us or not. Sometimes God will put us in difficult situations and ask us to speak the truth in love. In these cases, obedience is better than sacrifice. It is better to deliver the message the Lord told you to than to avoid the confrontation and be polite about it. God still gives hard messages to those who are hearing Him. What will we do with them? We need to have our ear to heaven and listen for the voice of God. We must be faithful to deliver His message and not our own.

Prayer:

Father, I want to know you more intimately. I love the way you spoke to Ezekiel. I would love to experience some of the things he experienced in You. I open myself up to You and ask You to speak to me more clearly than ever before. Speak, and I will deliver the message. I want to hear Your voice more clearly and accurately. Help me to be a messenger You can trust with Your messages.

Jeff

Restore Us

Scripture:

Lamentations 5:21 "Restore us, O Lord, and bring us back to you again! Give us back the joys we once had".

Observation:

Lamentations has been a book full of sorrow because Jerusalem had been totally plundered and there was nothing left. They had forsaken the Lord and the Lord, after much pleading with them and warning them, sent devastation on them. In this verse we see Jeremiah praying a prayer of restoration on behalf of the nation. He realizes that they are in trouble because they had turned from God and that they needed restoration to Him.

Application:

There is much joy in serving the Lord, but sometimes we slowly slip away from serving Him and spending time with Him and our spiritual lives become dull. We lose our joy and need restoration. Jeremiah asked for the joy back that they once had. We should be the same. We live in danger of losing our first love. We need to keep our love relationship with the Lord in tact and fan into flame our love for Him. Asking God to restore us is never a bad thing. The Psalmist said, "restore unto me the joy of they salvation". Often, we need to so the same.

Prayer:

Lord, relight the fire that once burned bright and clear. Restore the joy of serving you and sharing you with others. Restore the longing for Your presence and to spend time with you. I want to remain on fire for You throughout my life and don't want the fires to die down. Keep my passion hot and my desire for you strong.

Your Son,

Jeff

Rise and Cry Out

Scripture:

Lamentations 2:19 "Rise during the night and cry out. Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him in prayer, pleading for your children, for in every street they are faint with hunger".

Observation:

Jerusalem had been overthrown as the prophets had prophesied. They were utterly destroyed! Jeremiah is lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem. He tells the people to "Rise during the night and cry out". Jeremiah understood that God listens when His children cry out to Him. He knows the only way to get through this terrible time is to look up to the Lord and beg for his mercy.

Application:

Typically when we get down and discouraged, we don't want to spend time to God or cry out to Him. We generally pull away to Him when we are going through trouble. Instead of pulling away, that should be the time we cry out to Him day and night. We should run to Him and not away when things get bad. We must pour our hearts out to God in fervent prayer. We must learn to cry out from the depths of our souls to God. He will answer!

Prayer:

Lord, teach me to cry out to You in my distress. Help me to lean on You more and more. I want to grow in this area. I want to develop the practice of deeper intercession, crying out for my region and the world. The world truly is in devastation as the end times approach. Let me be one of the intercessors who stand in the gap and weep for my country and the people of the world.

Your Son,

Jeff

His Authority

Scripture:

I Peter 3:22 "Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept His authority".

Observation:

Peter tells us that Christ is in heaven next to God and that "all the angels and authorities and powers accept His authority". All of heaven understands His place of authority. Powers and principalities bow down before Him, yet we as His own special people, don't realize his authority and accept it in our lives.

Application:

If Jesus is truly in the place of authority in heaven, we need to let Him have authority in our lives. We need to humble ourselves before Him and allow Him to lead our lives instead of being self-led. Submission to authority means that we do things the way the authority wants them done. We must live our lives the way Christ would have us and not following after our own opinions. He must be priority one in our lives.

Prayer:

Father, I want to live a life truly submitted to Jesus Christ as the authority. I want Your kingdom to come and You will to be done in my life. Teach me Your ways and show me Your truth. You are awesome and I love you. You are authority personified! Help me to submit to Your authority.

Jeff

Humility and Honor

Scripture:

James 4:10 "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up in honor".

Observation:

James spends several verses talking about humbling ourselves before God. He tells us that "God opposes the proud but favors the humble". Throughout the scriptures we see that God looks for the humble to work through. Moses, David, and Gideon are good examples of this. All three were very humble and God raised them up. When we humble ourselves, God begins His work of lifting us up.

Application:

Humility will get you much farther than pride. You can strive your entire life to achieve great things and still be disappointed or you can humble yourself before God and let Him raise you up. You can allow Him to get all the praise for your accomplishments. Humility gives all the credit to God and pride keeps some of the glory for self. We must live our lives with Christ at the center, humbly doing whatever He puts in front of us. Then, in due season, He will raise us up.

Prayer:

Teach me humility Lord. I don't want false humility, but true humility that requires faith in You. Help me to bring You honor whenever I have the chance. Let my life bring Your glory.

You're the best!

Jeff

Control Your Tongue

Scripture:

James 1:26 "If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless".

Observation:

James tells us that our claims and our tongues should match or we are fooling ourselves and our religion has no value. Jesus said that "out of your belly would flow rivers of living water", but many of us have stale, judgmental, bitter waters flowing out. James would say that our religion is worthless. Jesus also said that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. What is on the inside will come out!

Application:

We need to watch what we say because many times we demonstrate our religion to be worthless by the things we say. God gave us the Holy Spirit to help us bridle our tongues and live lives that are exemplary. He wants His people to live holy and blameless lives, yet we continue to struggle, especially with our mouths. We need to bite the tongue and refrain it from saying whatever we want. I have a saying, "we need to tell the truth, but we don't need to tell everything that is true".

Prayer:

Father work on my tongue. Help me get better control of it, that it may be used to build Your Kingdom and not to hurt others. Let Your words flow out of my mouth and not my feelings. Let my speech be seasoned with salt and bring grace to the hearers.

Your Son,
Jeff

A New and Living Way

Scripture:

Hebrews 10:20 "By His death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way, through the curtain into the Most Holy Place".

Observation:

The author of Hebrews had been talking about the old sacrificial system in which the blood of animals had to continually be offered to cover the sins of God's people. He began talking about Jesus coming to be the perfect sacrifice that would last forever and end all animal sacrifices. While talking about that, he throws into the text this simple, yet powerful statement, "By His death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way, through the curtain into the Most Holy Place". He was saying that now we have direct access to God and have become priests. Jesus is our way into the presence of God.

Application:

For centuries there was a sacrificial system for God's people. Some animal had to be sacrificed, then once per year the high priest would go into the Most Holy Place to atone for the sins of God's people. The Most Holy Place was where the Ark of the Covenant was kept, which was the place of the presence of God. Today, because of Jesus sacrifice, we have access into the Holy Place ourselves and can go where only one priest could go once per year. We can go as often as we like into the presence of God and have become "portable arks", carrying His presence. We must learn to take advantage of this awesome truth. We have been given the greatest treasure in the world, we must use it and spend as much time as possible in the Most Holy Place.

Prayer:

I am reminded of the song, "Take me into the Holy of Holies. Take me in by the blood of the Lamb." Father I want to walk closer with you. Thank you for allowing us through the curtain and into Your presence. You are truly amazing. Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice that gave me access into the Most Holy Place. You are the best! Teach me to come through the curtain and remain in that place, that You may flow through my life more and more.

Jeff

The Word of God

Scripture:

Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires".

Observation:

The word of God has incredible power to bring transformation. Remaining in the word of God will change you from the inside out. It does spiritual surgery all the way down to the heart. It can get all the way down to our thoughts and desires. The word of God is an exposure of hidden things. I love where it says, "the word of God is alive". It is living and working every day to bring us more into the image of Christ.

Application:

If the word of God is so powerful, why do we as Christians have such trouble following the Lord and doing the right things? I would say it is not the Word of God's problem, but rather the problem is that we don't read it enough and apply it to our lives. We must look at the word of God as if God was standing in our room speaking audibly to us every day. We must treasure it and hide it in our hearts. My car can have all the power available under the hood, but if I don't press the accelerator, I can't use the power.

Prayer:

Father,
You are so good. You have given us Your Word which is alive and powerful. You gave us all we need, help me to feed on it daily and be washed by it continually. Let Your Word dwell in my heart and let me meditate on it more. I want your word to fill my life. Help me to get back to memorizing scripture.

Your Son,
Jeff

The Wisdom and Power of God

Scripture:

Jeremiah 51:15 "He has made the earth by His power; He has established the world by His wisdom, and stretched out the heaven by His understanding".

Observation:

Jeremiah is prophesying the utter destruction of Babylon in chapter 51. He is telling them that they are going to be wiped out. It seems like the people don't listen so he tells them about the power, wisdom, and understanding of God. Jeremiah is letting the people of Babylon know who it is that is coming against them.

Application:

I love to talk about the power of the God I serve. He is amazing! When I think about His power and what He is capable of, it increases my faith. When I hear stories of how He has delivered in the past, my heart jumps because I know that He never changes and what He did yesterday, He will do today. God's power, wisdom and understanding are well noted by Jeremiah. May I understand them as well.

Prayer:

Lord, let me see You as the all-powerful, omniscient, omni-present, God that You are. You are amazing and sometimes I feel like I insult You because I pray small prayers instead of asking You for big things. Nothing is impossible for You. Help me grab hold of that and live like it. Teach me to trust You more and rely on myself less.

Your Son,

Jeff

The Influence of a Shepherd

Scripture:

Jeremiah 50:6 "My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray; They have turned them away on the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting place."

Observation:

In the Old Testament, God speaks many times of shepherds leading His people astray. Here He compares His people to lost sheep and blames the shepherds for leading them astray. God always judges shepherds harshly and expects them to lead properly. He expects His shepherds to lead people the right direction and if they don't, they are in danger.

Application:

Today, there are so many shepherds who have decided to lead their people in a way that is not pleasing to God. One of the strongest impressions of this comes from a sermon Tommy Barnett preached many years ago where he preached from the flames of hell. In one scene there was a man being chased through hell by a group of people. Tommy stops them and asks what was going on and hwy they were after him. They said, He was our pastor on earth and he never told us this place even existed. Shepherds must led with truth.

Prayer:

Lord, You have entrusted many people into my hands. Help me to lead them well, feed them well and warn them well. I want every person I minister to in heaven one day. Show me how to lead better. Jesus, You are the good shepherd. Help me be a better shepherd.

Thanks,

Jeff

YET

Scripture:

Jeremiah 48:47 "Yet I will bring back the captives of Moab in the latter days, says the Lord. Thus far is the judgment of Moab".

Observation:

Chapter 48 of Jeremiah is a word about he destruction of Moab. It is a lengthy discourse about how Moab would be utterly destroyed. It is a lengthy chapter full of terrible things that are going to befall Moab. The very last verse of the chapter says "YET" I will bring back the captives of Moab. After spending much time ranting about the destruction coming, God puts in a little word "YET".

Application:

In reading my daily was this year, it has really stood out to me that God in the O.T. pronounces much judgment on His people and the surrounding nations. Usually at the end of it, there will be a "YET" letting us know that it is only temporary and that God will restore them. God's heart of love and compassion will let bad things happen in our lives, yet, at some point, He always brings us out. Before we ever go through the fire, He has our exit plan established. God always has a "YET" for our lives.

Prayer:

Father, I see You in the OT as God of fierce judgment, "YET" in every place, You already have a plan for their restoration. While prophesying doom and gloom You always add in a "YET" and talk about their return and re-establishment. Thank you for showing me that You can be trusted when things are difficult. You are the best!

Jeff