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.
God pursues His people even when they rebel and seem like a lost cause. What stands out to me here is that even the rebellious people will be impacted by His chase. They will not be able to ignore His obvious engagement of them because He is good, powerful and accomplishes all that He sets out to do. Lord, help me to see you instantly! Help me to love You and be surrendered in every part of my heart and mind…
Lord God, strengthen my hope so that I can trust you are at work…even while I am waiting! Carry out Your promise and save our kids…
“Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done, Therefore the Lord his God gave him into the hand of the king of Syria, who defeated him and took captive a great number of his people and brought them to Damascus. He was also given into the hand of the king of Israel, who struck him with great force.”
2 Chronicles 28:1, 5 ESV
It is shocking how much God puts up with. He doesn’t reject the people or excommunicate them…rather He patiently turns the screws on them intending to remind them of their need for Him. He even continues to call them His people…as they are rejecting Him and following other Gods.
God, thank You for patiently and faithfully loving me, even when I have repeatedly gone after sin or deceived myself to follow my own desires. Help me to love You more than anything else and flee from everything that does not draw me closer to You!
“Help me, Lord my God; save me according to your faithful love so they may know that this is your hand and that you, Lord, have done it. I will fervently thank the Lord with my mouth; I will praise him in the presence of many. For he stands at the right hand of the needy to save him from those who would condemn him.”
Psalms 109:26-27, 30-31 CSB
Lord, what a blessing that You are long suffering and patient with me. I would have given up on me a long time ago, yet you continue to show love and grace to me. Allow me to stay aware of Your faithfulness everyday for the rest of my life!
“God — his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is pure. He is a shield to all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is a rock? Only our God. God — he clothes me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer and sets me securely on the heights. He trains my hands for war; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have given me the shield of your salvation; your right hand upholds me, and your humility exalts me.”
Psalms 18:30-35 CSB
What a powerful God we serve— He knows our path, strengthens us and protects us— even when it feels like we are lost, wandering and alone. Lord, allow me to see Your fingerprints in my circumstances, Your presence in the darkness and Your love in the silence.
“The next day the entire Israelite community complained about Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the Lord’s people! ””
Numbers 16:41 CSB
I wonder how long it had been since Aarons son had been killed when offering unauthorized fire to the Lord, before this episode where 250 people did something similar. And shockingly, right after God destroys them and their families, the next day the rest of the people are blaming Aaron and Moses. God is required to have massive patience with them…and me…
Lord, thank you for being long suffering because we need it. Help us to have better memories and more trust that You are at work in every area of life.
“So Moses went back to the Lord and asked, “Lord, why have you caused trouble for this people? And why did you ever send me? Ever since I went in to Pharaoh to speak in your name he has caused trouble for this people, and you haven’t rescued your people at all.” But the Lord replied to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: because of a strong hand he will let them go, and because of a strong hand he will drive them from his land.” ”
Exodus 5:22-6:1 CSB
Moses expects the final results instantly. After all, he is speaking directly for God, the Sovereign One. Yet that is rarely how God works. His processes are slow and intentional…there is a reason for the exact timing and every single step.
Lord, help me to have patience while You are working Your plan. Help me to stay focused on the work You are doing and strengthen me when I get discouraged with the process. Build my faith in You!
“Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will certainly come to your aid and bring you up from this land to the land he swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” So Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath: “When God comes to your aid, you are to carry my bones up from here.” ”
Genesis 50:24-25 CSB
Joseph was in Egypt at least 90yrs…the Israelites would be there another 300 before God comes to save them. That is such a long time to have faith, to trust that God is at work.
Lord, build my faith to trust that You are at work especially when You are slower than I would want.
“Then Joseph settled his father and brothers in the land of Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s family with food for their dependents.
…Joseph acquired all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh, because every Egyptian sold his field since the famine was so severe for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, and Joseph made the people servants from one end of Egypt to the other.”
Genesis 47:11-12, 20-21 CSB
The stark comparison between how God treated the family of Israel to the people of Egypt is amazing. Gods hand of provision was on His chosen people even through the most severe drought that literally enslaved the people of Egypt.
Gods protection for His people is incredible but also in an unexpected way. I can’t help but see similar assistance from God in ways that seem to be trials or at very least confusing situations. Things that don’t make sense in the moment, but further down the road are obviously Gods handiwork.
God, your protection and provision are obvious and we are blessed by all of it! Help me to see your fingerprints even in the chaos, or give me faith when your work isn’t so obvious!
“When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me but let you live. Please say you’re my sister so it will go well for me because of you, and my life will be spared on your account.””
Genesis 12:11-13 CSB
I wish that Abram’s actions to “help” God were less familiar. I feel like I default to attempting to accomplish “Gods will” in my life…looking for ways to force things to work out in a way that gets me what I want. It’s sad to look back and see how common this has been for me.
Lord, thank You for helping me to see this pattern of faithlessness. Thank You for gently correcting me and removing my blinders. Help me to trust You to accomplish Your will…give me patience to wait for Your perfect timing and Your plan. Build my faith in You, and You alone!
“For I rescued the poor who cried out for help, and the fatherless child who had no one to support him. The dying blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart rejoice. I clothed myself in righteousness, and it enveloped me; my just decisions were like a robe and a turban. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy, and I examined the case of the stranger.”
Job 29:12-16 CSB
I have felt like Job before …fully and thoughtfully reviewing my performance and seeing nothing but good… that was shortly before God revealed what my motivations were. I had no idea that pride was driving much of my good works! I actually think, that was not the case with Job, I think he was a good guy. But this reminded me of how blind I can be to my own reality.
More importantly, it reminded me that God carefully and lovingly walks with us on the road to sanctification. He doesn’t point us in a direction and tell us to go…but He is with us every step of the way, revealing reality slowly so that we can be made new, one layer at a time.
God is so patient with us, lovingly opening our eyes to the next failing He wants us to surrender to Him. He then reshapes us to resemble Jesus just a little bit more, then on to the next, and the next, and the next…
“Now when it was time for supper, the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, to betray him.
So he [Jesus] got up from supper, laid aside his outer clothing, took a towel, and tied it around himself. Next, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around him.
…he knew who would betray him. This is why he said, “Not all of you are clean.””
John 13:2, 4-5, 11 CSB
It is shocking that Jesus would wash his followers feet because that is the job of a slave/servant. The Rabbi is the one with the power and esteem, and so should be on the receiving end. But I think what is more incredible is that Jesus already knew Judas would betray Him, yet He still washes Judas’ feet. Jesus still demonstrates humility and shows love to the very one who would hand Him over to be crucified.
Gods character is on display and this is an example of how God thinks about each of us. He loves us unconditionally even though He knows the next sin we will commit…in fact He knows everything wrong we have ever done and will ever do…and still loves us and serves us in humility.
Aside from being mind blowing, this gives me so much love and thankfulness toward God! I want to, in humility, attempt to do what He calls me to and I am eager to obey!
So the sisters sent a message to him: “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
When Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was sick, he stayed two more days in the place where he was.
So Jesus then told them plainly, “Lazarus has died. I’m glad for you that I wasn’t there so that you may believe. But let’s go to him.”
John 11:3-6, 14-15 CSB
This narrative shows that Gods ways are not our ways! His plans are always deeper and more profitable than my small mind can comprehend. I would have wanted Jesus to heal my brother before he died…that would have avoided so much pain and sadness. That is what I want after all…minimum pain, minimum sadness, minimum suffering. When those things are increased, I am tempted to feel like God isn’t there, or at least He is not helping.
Yet this passage tells us that sometimes God allows things we would never choose because He LOVES us! He knows our hearts need to see the impossible so that we can trust Him even more.
Lord, admittedly, I don’t like this strategy…help me to trust Your plan, because I know You ALWAYS do what is BEST for me.
“Who are you?” they questioned. “Exactly what I’ve been telling you from the very beginning,” Jesus told them.
So Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own. But just as the Father taught me, I say these things. The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him.”
John 8:25, 28-29 CSB
While Jesus was on earth doing His ministry, everyone wanted to know who He was. He rarely said outright that He was the messiah, but He alluded to it in many ways and constantly talked about God as His Father. I love how Jesus reminds the that God is always with Him…just like He is with us today!
Lord, help me to live like God was living inside me, because He is!!!!
“This was John’s testimony when the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?””
John 1:19 CSB
John lived his life in a unique way and people noticed he was different. It was obvious there was something different about him and his message. This caused people to go to him to ask the question, what’s the story John?
My life should also look different from the people around me…it should be obvious that I have the hope of Jesus.
Lord, I don’t want to be a freak, but I pray that people would want to know about You because of what they see in my life. Help me to live vibrantly so that anyone who interacts with me sees You reflected in my words and actions!
“Give me neither poverty nor wealth; feed me with the food I need. Otherwise, I might have too much and deny you, saying, “Who is the Lord?” or I might have nothing and steal, profaning the name of my God.
There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filth. This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, “I’ve done nothing wrong.””
Proverbs 30:8-9, 12, 20 CSB
Lord, give me eyes to see myself clearly. Don’t allow me to be blind to who I am or the impact of my sin. It is so easy to falsely think that I have things in life handled and I don’t need You, but that is the biggest lie. I need You every moment of every day or else I begin to move in the wrong direction and cause chaos in my life and those around me.
“A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples in silver settings. A wise correction to a receptive ear is like a gold ring or an ornament of gold.”
Proverbs 25:11-12 CSB
Lord, you have given me a ministry that relies heavily upon speaking into challenging situations to people who are hurt/hurting. Let me depend solely on Your Spirit to know the appropriate timing and what to say so that they may benefit and You are glorified!
“Honor belongs to the person who ends a dispute, but any fool can get himself into a quarrel.
Counsel in a person’s heart is deep water; but a person of understanding draws it out.
Finalize plans with counsel, and wage war with sound guidance.”
Proverbs 20:3, 5, 18 CSB
Lord, you have called me to counsel and help with disputes. I need Your wisdom to be effective, Your Word to impact peoples hearts. For the sake of those whom I minister, remind me that my words are flawed and only Your Word and Spirit can bring transformation!
“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; your rule is for all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words and gracious in all his actions. The Lord is near all who call out to him, all who call out to him with integrity. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry for help and saves them. The Lord guards all those who love him, but he destroys all the wicked. My mouth will declare the Lord’s praise; let every living thing bless his holy name forever and ever.”
Psalms 145:13, 18-21 CSB
How incredible it is that God, who created everything in the universe, will come near to me. Even as an insignificant person, He makes time to know me. That is mind boggling! What a blessing we have to know Him and be able to trust Him with everything.
His presence is a truly blessed experience because with Him by our side, we can go through every trial and blessing with joy, patience and peace. I don’t know about you all, but that is what I desire…and it only comes from having Jesus by our side every moment of every day!
