"Now will I shortly pour out my fury upon thee, and accomplish mine anger upon thee: and I will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense thee for all thine abominations."
—Ezekiel 7:8 (KJV)
Because God's people had repeatedly rebelled and chosen to turn their unhearing ears and hard hearts against his will, God was about to let his people face the consequences of their sinfulness. Because of their entrenched rebellion, he was ready to judge them using the harshest of standards; their rebellion compared to his divine and loving will. We must remember that God still wants us to be his holy people in our day just as much as he wanted his people in Ezekiel's day. Let's be faithful to him, no matter the values of our culture and how far they stray from God's will. Jesus has called us to be salt in our world's decay and light in our world's darkness (Matthew 5:13-16; John 3:16-21; Philippians 2:12-16).
O God, please do not rebuke me in your wrath, but encourage me to live for you regardless of my circumstances or the culture surrounding me. I want to be faithful to you in all I do, say, and think. The world around me is trapped in darkness, so please use me to bring your light and life to the people around me. As I seek to honor you this way, please help me not to compromise my values or depart from your will. In Jesus' name, I pray and plead for these gifts from your grace. Amen.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
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—Ezekiel 7:8 (KJV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Because God's people had repeatedly rebelled and chosen to turn their unhearing ears and hard hearts against his will, God was about to let his people face the consequences of their sinfulness. Because of their entrenched rebellion, he was ready to judge them using the harshest of standards; their rebellion compared to his divine and loving will. We must remember that God still wants us to be his holy people in our day just as much as he wanted his people in Ezekiel's day. Let's be faithful to him, no matter the values of our culture and how far they stray from God's will. Jesus has called us to be salt in our world's decay and light in our world's darkness (Matthew 5:13-16; John 3:16-21; Philippians 2:12-16).
My Prayer...
O God, please do not rebuke me in your wrath, but encourage me to live for you regardless of my circumstances or the culture surrounding me. I want to be faithful to you in all I do, say, and think. The world around me is trapped in darkness, so please use me to bring your light and life to the people around me. As I seek to honor you this way, please help me not to compromise my values or depart from your will. In Jesus' name, I pray and plead for these gifts from your grace. Amen.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Continue reading...
