Monday, August 8, 2022

            Ezekiel is the third major prophet found in the Old Testament.  His name means “God strengthens” which is a good name for a prophet to have.  One of this prophet’s key phrases is “I am the LORD.”  This statement reminds us of two realities.  First, there is a Lord God.  And second, we are not Him.  Perhaps today, you need to be reminded that God is real and He is the great I AM.  He is as alive and real today as He was at the moment of creation when He called for light.  Knowing this truth CAN make a difference in your life as you rely on His power and strength.  In Ezekiel 11:19, the prophet wrote about the return of the people from judgment and exile.  We read, “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”  In short, Ezekiel described the new birth that we enjoy as followers of Christ.  The heart is changed.  The mind is changed.  And we live a new life given to us by the work of Christ at the cross and the empty tomb.
            One of Ezekiel’s most celebrated passages involves the vision of the dry bones in chapter thirty-seven.  He recognized the futility of man’s ability to come back to life on his own.  Only God can bring life and vitality to dry and once dead places.  “Therefore, prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them’” (Ezekiel 37:12-13).  If you find your faith in a dry season, do not despair.  Trust the Lord.  Look to the Lord.  Lean upon the Lord.  He can bring new life, new hope and new encouragement to you.  The dryness can be removed with a return to Scripture reading, prayer, journaling, worship and keeping an ongoing dialogue with the Lord God. 
            In Ezekiel 28, Ezekiel directed a prophecy against the King of Tyre.  Some believe this prophecy was directed more against Satan who was portrayed as this earthly king of Tyre.  In the prophecy, we find a warning against pride and its many dangers.  We read, “Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.  So, I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings” (Ezekiel 28:17).  Pride led to Satan’s downfall and casting down from heaven and the presence of God.  Pride was part of the original fall in the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve became convinced that they could pick their ways above God’s ways and not suffer any consequences from such a choice.  Pride is dangerous today.  And when we find ourselves acting pridefully, we need to remove such things from our lives—casting them to the cross for healing and forgiveness. 
            Ezekiel ended with a declaration that we need to hear clearly today.  It is the kind of statement that we could post on our refrigerator or a sticky note on a desk or table.  The prophet concluded his prophecy with these four words, “The LORD is there” (Ezekiel 48:35).  And indeed, He is.  God is there. God is with us.  The whole message of Christmas is the presence of God with us.  The Holy Spirit indwells His people today.  He lives in us and with us and becomes our counselor and companion through the turns and demands of life.  Have a great Monday and remember you can share our worship any time at youtube.com/FirstBaptistKannapolis.