No matter where Jesus went everyone expected Him to perform miracles. People who wanted healing, His enemies and Hid disciples…it was not a question of if He would heal, but how. Everything Jesus touched was bringing restoration and order…only God does that wherever He goes. Lord, I pray that You would work in me to the point that people see You wherever I go.
Jesus does the impossible to help people recognize He is not just different than other leaders, but actually God. The miracles were so convincing that many stopped all they were doing and followed Him. Lord, let me be likewise impacted everyday.
This is the kind of healing we all want. One act of faith and perfect removal of sin, as well as any evidence of it. We hear stories of this type of miraculous removal of temptation and after salvation, the temptation is gone, never again to feel the pull of some awful sin…but it is exceedingly rare. Most of us battle tooth and nail to overcome our sin. Lord, in either case give us the strength to fight or the grace to share the work You are doing in us!
God gives to each of us what it is that we can handle, no more…no less. That is both for our blessings, abilities and trials. He expects us to use them all appropriately and bring Him glory through all of them good & bad, amazing and trying, blessing and curse. Lord, grant me the strength to bring You glory through all that You ordain to me.
We are called to be ready at every moment for Jesus to return. That means we need to be following Him every second of the day. No lapse in focus, no chasing sin for a second, no selfishness…always pursuing Jesus. I need help to do that!
What a horrific passage to read for the 100th time…never seeing myself so clearly described before. I didn’t see it at the time, but my pride was in full bloom years ago as I had these prideful motivations while in full time ministry. Lord, help me to serve others well…would all that I do for Your kingdom bring You alone glory!
How awesome to see Gods persistence in bringing people into His feast…all are invited, yet each person gets to choose if they will participate. Even better Jesus provides us all the proper clothing for the feast, we are to put on Christ and be recognized as His. Shockingly, some will reject His covering and demand to wear their own efforts…only to be tossed out.
Lord, clothe me in your salvation and help me to depend on You alone for my entrance into Your kingdom.
What a promise! Jesus calls us to go to Him, accept His yoke and learn from Him…our response: rest for our soul. Not just relaxation, but our entire self- head, heart, bones and body will experience REST… Lord, I need that today!
Strengthen me to:
-go to You in prayer.
-accept Your guidance, direction and presence.
-learn Your way, see Your fingerprints around me.
I don’t know why it is comforting to know that the trials we face were expected, but Jesus knew that His disciples would get put in some pretty uncomfortable spots…yet in the midst of all of that, He reminds them (and us) that the Spirit will guide AND the hard moments will be a testimony to the watching world. Lord, thank You for Your presence and guidance even through trial.
It’s incredible that Jesus looks at our actions and perfectly knows what motivates us and drives us. Hebrews 4 talks about the Word of God doing the same thing. Lord, help me not to hide these things from myself, because You already know.
What a great illustration of Gods character. He compares God to a human father and reminds us that if fathers give good gifts God is able to do way better. He has none of the weakness or constraints of human fathers, knows perfectly what we actually need and Loves us perfectly!
On repeat in the sermon on the mount, Jesus tells us that why we do things is maybe more important than what we do. He knows if we do good things because we want others to see or if we want to please the Lord. Hebrews 4 tells us that “…the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Lord, help me to recognize the motives in my heart and submit them all to You!
This is a simple statement, but a powerful one. Jesus sits down and the disciples went to Him…seeking Him…ready to listen to Him…wanting to understand Him. They intentionally placed themselves in His presence and humbled themselves into submission to His teaching. Lord, help me to be ready to submit to You in every way.
Jesus powerful words to the disciples are not “follow Me, and work hard to be fishers of men”…but rather “follow Me and I will make you fishers of men”. That is a big difference! How easy it is to fall into the trap of self motivated change, working hard to do the right things, and all the while feeling like a fisherman in a disguise as an evangelist.
Lord, allow me to be surrendered to You in every way so that You can transform me. You must do the work to make me into the person perfectly suited for Your calling on my life. Help me to see when I am trying on my own and hand that over to you.
What a gracious God to intentionally place these 5 women into the lineage of Jesus the Messiah! God uses all of our own messy story to ultimately highlight His own grace and mercy. Only God can take our jacked up lives and turn them into a beautiful tapestry woven together into a masterpiece…just like He does in the genealogy of Christ by highlighting these women. Lord, help me to trust that you continue to be at work in my life and in the lives of my children…
As Daniel is watching this world drama unfold, unimaginable power is on display by their vast armies and wide sweeping conquests. Yet several times in this chapter God puts a bit of reality into the conversation reminding Daniel and the reader, that only He is in charge and has appointed all of these things.
The reminder for me is that God has appointed times for my life as well, not only for kings, but for His servants. God is sovereign and cares about every detail of life. Lord, give me the strength to trust you with every large or small detail of my life!
What a powerful prayer that Daniel is confessing for the whole nation. Then he asks God to act, not for the people but for Gods own great compassion. What a great reminder of the Gospel! We are saved by His work, grace, mercy and compassion…literally nothing of our own efforts!!!
It’s interesting that this is included in Gods revelation to us because, it is really hard to understand. Even Daniel gets a personal interpretation but he was still confused in the end. However, I find it interesting that God sends an angel to provide some insight…enough understanding to make it valuable for Daniel and for us. Lord, help me to trust that You will do the same for me, even when things are hard to comprehend…I want to trust in You!
Amidst the chaos Jesus is ushered in forever. That is such a relief that we know He is in control and we can trust Him!
Daniel lived in a way that made him stand out from all his peers. His life exemplified his faith and the power of his God. His trust in God in every avenue was unique and obvious to everyone around him. Lord, although I am not interested in the persecution side, I pray that people would recognize You in all of my actions!
Daniel had no imagination that this was his own ability, but consistently pointed to God! In the end God was praised and received the glory, not Daniel. This seems like a one off situation, and it is unique, but all of the gifts that God provides work the same way and should be treated as such. Lord, help me to reveal your glory as I use the gifts you have given me.
What a fascinating reminder of how intimately involved with our lives God actually is. I often take credit for my success yet this passage clearly points out Gods role in the success of Daniel and his friends. Lord, thank you for providing me the ability to do my work and ministry…please help me to keep You as a fixture of empowerment rather than claiming victory for myself…You alone have granted me any favor I experience. What a blessing from Your hand!!!
The end of this long confusing section of Ezekiel ends by naming the city “The LORD is there”…God with His people! What a contrast to the beginning of the book where they are in exile, separated from God because of their own decisions. What a mighty God who has a plan to restore relationship with us even when we actively run from Him.
The way God calls His people to embrace the foreigner is so much different that the popular mindset of American Christians today! Lord help me to fight against the cultural narrative of our day and see people as you see them. Help me to love all people as You would love them.
Ministers are examples to all Gods people and are called to a higher standard of living. Lord, help me to reflect Your glory!!!
All of this destruction, trials, desertion and death to achieve restoration of Gods reputation and His people’s proper thinking. It seems extreme to me, but God knows exactly what is required and doesn’t do more than that. Thank you Lord for Your patience and presence! Help me to live for You alone!!!
God is able to use any tool He wants to accomplish His work in His people. His goals in this chapter are identified as Exaltation, Sanctification and being intimate known…for the ultimate purpose of saving His people. It is obvious that God wants everyone to come to Him and experience the joy of His presence and provision. Lord, help me to be settled in You!
Gods plan to restore His people is encouraging and hopeful…they don’t deserve it, but He plans it anyway. We are just like them in that we are not worthy of His blessings, protection and love, but that is who God is!
What a beautiful picture of transformation from a heart of stone which doesn’t feel or move or even work as it should…to the real thing! Ready to live, and respond as it was designed. Lord, I need this renewal once again…my heart feels hard and unfeeling, heavy and lacking joy, cold and dead. Transform my heart to one filled with love for You, joy for all the blessings and a desire to pursue You.
5 times in these 15 vs God says to the descendants of Esau, you will know me. These are not the chosen people of God, but closely related…they knew all the history and all the ways that God had cared for and protected them. Of anybody on earth, they should also know God. So it seems like this reverence is what is expected even more from those people than any other, and he reminds them more often.
Lord, you have given me scripture so that I can know you even better than all the people of the Bible, help me to reverence you appropriately! I love you and want to be wholly devoted to you and surrender to you in everything!
This passage describes how the leaders of Israel have taken advantage of Gods people and how God will personally rescue them. But then there is a picture of how they will continue to suffer because of their own actions…yet in it all God still intends to bless them. What an amazing God we serve!!!
One sin is enough to require punishment, but also living Gods way brings righteousness.
A very public destruction is described by God for this nation that has been Israel’s enemy. There is very little to comfort in this passage if you are at war with God or His people…on the flip side, as Gods chosen son, what a comfort to know that God will stop at nothing to protect me. Lord, give me the faith to trust that You are at work and have my good in mind at every step of the journey!!!
This chapter tells about God warning Pharaoh by comparing how He dealt with Assyria, which was even more powerful than Egypt. It should have been a reminder that God is more powerful and should not be messed with, but rather surrendered to.
Lord help me to be fully surrendered to You in everything!
The message of Ezekiel is on repeat… God does not want to be misunderstood. He patently tells all people what they need to hear and why. I think He is just as patient today with me…I wish I didn’t need the message to be on repeat, but I clearly don’t learn the first time.
As God is working through the punishment of His people’s enemies, it is interesting that for Egypt, destruction is not the end. His plan it to return them to their land but prevent them from thriving and domination of their past. He cares for His enemies and His people.
Four times in as many verses, God provides rationale for his punishment of these nations. Throughout the entire book this phrase is repeated- “they will know I am the LoRD”. This is a God who wants us to know Him…He wants everyone to know Him! His children, His nation, their enemies, those who hate Him…His desire is that we all know Him and surrender to His Love.
Tyre as a nation was strong, powerful and literally had everything. Their strength came from trade and diversity because they had tamed the fierce sea…it finally swallowed them, all their riches and their pride. All that made them great became their downfall. We are no different…the things that make us proud pull us away from Jesus only to drive us to destruction.
Lord, help me to pursue You rather than glory, chase humility over pride and Your will over mine!
It is amazing to see that God is so personally invested in the punishment and destruction of this nation that was so opportunistic in considering the downfall of Jerusalem. It doesn’t seem like such a worthy offense…yet it communicates Gods care for His people…and He is just as jealous for us today!
God is punishing these four nations for participating in the destruction of Israel…and His motive all along is for them to know Him. Lord, You so clearly desire that we all know You and what a privilege it is, help me to lean into that each day!
God has a claim on everything in our lives and is able to use anything and everything to help us to see and understand who He is. Tragically, Ezekiel’s wife dies and God uses it as a lesson for all His people…and Ezekiel has no say. Yet through His suffering, He knows that God is with Him and is using him. Lord, help me to see You just as clearly and have confidence in You!!!
These are getting harder to read as it seems to be a message on repeat…stop worshipping idols, it is only bringing destruction. They must have needed the warning dozens of times because they were thick headed…or just very slow to be changed. I am like that at times, needing a thousand corrections before I hear what is actually being said…Lord, strengthen me to listen and follow You without reservation!
As any parent understands, God is willing to do anything to ensure His children know Him.
There is something about punishment that helps us to see clearly. The pain of it all, forces us to clear away all the lies and convenient excuses we use to follow our own desires. It forces us to see reality and our own true condition! Lord, please let me see these things clearly without the need for discipline!
We don’t usually expect our story to turn to a tragedy, we are looking for success and victory. But unfortunately, we are not the authors of our story…instead we are called to trust the Author and have confidence in His promises. Lord help me to trust You even when things are not going the way I expect.
God holds each person accountable for their own actions…what a blessing as that is hard enough for me to control…and even then, if I am not surrendered, I often fail to effectively control myself. Thankfully Gods grace extends to each person and we can accept His grace if we surrender to His will.
God specializes in the impossible and accomplishes His will against all odds. He is not constrained by normal circumstances or outcomes, but by His will achieves His desired result. God, help me to see Your path and walk in it willingly!
This same thing is one of the most insidious manners in which Christian’s sin. We take the blessings of God and credit them to our abilities and turn it into an idol…the idol takes over and we can reject God in search of more glory, more honor, more pleasure, more fame…
God allow my heart to be soft to you in humility and credit You wholly with all that you have blessed me. Please strengthen my resolve to point to You in every victory and every blessing!
God calls us to be faithful as we accomplish the work He called us to. He wants us to understand that He alone is God and the only one worthy of molding our will toward. Lord, help me to be malleable as I endeavor to be surrendered to You!
