Victory in Christ

Being called some kind of animal is normally not something we desire, except when God is the one making the comparison.  “And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord GOD.” (Ezekiel 34:31)  Thru Ezekiel God is reminding His people that He will watch over and care for them like a shepherd does his flock, BUT they have to follow Him like sheep.  In the 23rd Psalm David shares his knowledge that with God as our shepherd, we have all that we need.  “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalms 23:1)  Jesus also gave us reason to want to be like sheep when He described the Judgement Day.  “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.  Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 25:31-34)  In the rest of Matthew 25 Jesus told some of the things we need to do so we can be compared to sheep and not goats.

Today’s reading: Ezekiel 18-20

Throughout the Bible we see proof that there is only one God.  The phrase “I am the Lord” occurs 84 times in the book of Ezekiel.  Many of those times include something that God says He is doing so people will know that He is the one God.  “and I will execute judgments upon Moab. Then they will know that I am the LORD.” (Ezekiel 25:11)  “Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt. Then they will know that I am the LORD.” (Ezekiel 30:19)  In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians he speaks of the One who is in control of everything.  “one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:6)  In prayer to our Heavenly Father, Jesus speaks of the source of eternal life in Heaven with Him.  “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3) We can know that one God and Father of all by diligent study of His Word.

Today’s reading: Ezekiel 16-17

Ezekiel wrote a parable comparing the Jewish people to a vine.  “Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard planted by the water, fruitful and full of branches by reason of abundant water.” (Ezekiel 19:10)  That vine grew strong and tall. (vs. 11)  This is referring to the times God blessed His people and they prospered.  But then the destruction followed. (vs. 12)  Time after time they turned against Him.  God was patient with them just as He is with us, but time eventually ran out.  The parable ends by letting them know this grief was there to stay; “This is a lamentation and has become a lamentation.”  His people as physical Israel may have ended, but His people as spiritual Israel continues.  “This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.” (Romans 9:8)   “For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” (Galatians 3:26-29)

Today’s reading: Ezekiel 13-15

We know that God is love. (1 John 4:8)  Love does not mean He does not care what we do or how we act.  “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” (Hebrews 12:6)  The Israelites seemed to think God was not a just god because He had expectations of them.  “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?  When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die.  Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life.  Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.  Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?” (Ezekiel 18:25-29)  Our God is a just god and He wants us all to be saved, but just like with the Israelite people we have to do our part.  “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.” (Ezekiel 18:32)

Today’s reading: Ezekiel 9-12

Throughout the Bible we see God taking care of His people.  Often there were tough times, but those who had faith and followed Him were rewarded for their faith. Ezekiel was given a message to share with the people and part of it was to encourage those in Babylonian captivity. “Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’  And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations.  And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” (Ezekiel 11:17-20) His promise to them was that they would be His people. He has also promised us that we can be children of His. “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Galatians 3:26-27)

Today’s reading: Ezekiel 5-8

God had important information to share with His people and He spoke those words directly to Ezekiel.  “And he said to me, ‘Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.”’ (Ezekiel 2:1)  He also has important information to share with us today.  “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Today’s reading: Ezekiel 1-4

Like this passage says, sometimes we need to step back and evaluate our life and be sure it is in line with God’s Word. “Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the Lord ;” (Lamentations 3:40 NKJV)

Today’s reading: Lamentations 3-5

In a book with the name Lamentations, it is expected to read of much sorrow.  Jeremiah is thought to be the author of these miseries of Jerusalem.  He speaks of how drastically times have changed for the people.  “Jerusalem remembers in the days of her affliction and wandering all the precious things that were hers from days of old. When her people fell into the hand of the foe, and there was none to help her, her foes gloated over her; they mocked at her downfall.” (Lamentations 1:7)  But about half way thru his lamenting, we see a positive turn.  “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:21-23)  Some of these words may be familiar to you from song lyrics that you have been singing.  These words were penned about a time when God’s people had sinned and were suffering greatly.  But they recognized that they had to turn back to and serve Him.  “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”  The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.  It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.” (Lamentations 3:24-26)

Today’s reading: Lamentations 1-2

Jeremiah chapter 52 describes the destruction of Jerusalem.  We are told many of the details about the temple being destroyed, down to even the day that it happened.  “In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month—that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon—Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, who served the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem.  And he burned the house of Jehovah, and the king’s house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, burned he with fire.” (Jeremiah 52:12-13)  As terrible as it was for this building to be destroyed, God’s power was not affected.  “But it was Solomon who built a house for him.  Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,” (Acts 7:47-48)  Each of us have a temple of God that we need to protect and honor.  “Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?  If any man destroyeth the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, and such are ye.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

Today’s reading: Jeremiah 51-52

The Israelites turned from God at times, but in this section of scripture we see them turning back to Him. “In those days and in that time,” says the Lord , “The children of Israel shall come, They and the children of Judah together; With continual weeping they shall come, And seek the Lord their God.” (Jeremiah 50:4 NKJV) He desires the same from us today. “that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’” (Acts 17:28 ESV)

Today’s reading: Jeremiah 49-50