Jonathan Moore
Ezekiel 9:3-4
Then the glory of the God of Israel rose up from between the cherubim, where it had rested, and moved to the entrance of the Temple. And the Lord called to the man dressed in linen who was carrying the writer’s case. He said to him, “Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all who weep and sigh because of the detestable sins being committed in their city.”
Here Ezekiel describes God's response to the wickedness going on openly and in secret in the nation at that time. Those that were inwardly grieving (sigh) and outwardly interceding (weep) were marked with " taw" the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, that resembled a cross. They escaped judgement and became the remnant. It reminds us that in times of turmoil and societal tension, believers can not simply opt out or disengage. Our worship and our witness must remain vital.
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DAILY LECTIONARY READING
Gospel Reading John 1:19-28
19This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” 21And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23He said,
“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’”
as the prophet Isaiah said.
24Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” 26John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” 28This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
Clarity for today…
What is God’s will for you? In its most fundamental sense, it is simply this: Get saved, then live saved. That is grossly oversimplifying it, but it is the truth.
I’m often asked why can’t we know God’s will for us in the future? Well, if God included and gave us our minute by minute or day by day itinerary, God would be taking responsibility away from us. God will assist us as we walk by faith day to day, but He typically doesn’t take those steps for us.
When Elijah was in the wilderness, God told him to sleep, but didn’t tell him what was going to happen (1 Kings 19). God told him to eat, because the journey was long, but again, didn’t tell him what was going to happen. When Elijah arrived at his destination (Mt. Horeb), he still didn’t see the big picture. No, Elijah had learned to trust and obey, to walk by faith and not by sight, then God revealed His will when it was timely and appropriate to do so. We must also learn to live this way, or we will never fully understand God’s will for us individually or as a church.
Here’s the bottom line: If God gave us His future will all at once, we would be overwhelmed. If we knew the sufferings (to grow us) we would refuse to live tomorrow. If we knew the blessings, it would make us impatient and egotistical.
Let us be content with living with what we do know for today, and be faithful to Him in all our tomorrows, and everything will be fine.
Bro Bill