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Christian Devotional – March 15, 2017
God continues passing judgment on Tyre and in Ezekiel chapter 27, we see Him speaking against the King of Tyre. The whole of His argument is summed up in verse 6 where God says that the king has made his heart like the heart of God. Any time we try to become like God for our own purposes, we are going to find ourselves in trouble. As we seek to be more like God as a way to glorify and prsise God, we will find ourselves successful. Unfortunately, the king sought his own glory and not God’s. Will we seek after the glory of God or will we seek afterour…
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Christian Devotional – March 14, 2017
As we saw yesterday, Ezekiel has been working with God on explaining the judgment of Tyre. In Ezekiel chapter 27, this continues. Here Ezekiel is told by God to write a lament for the people of Tyre. They had truly been a jewel of God’s creation. As Ezekiel is writing and explaining all these things, he sees the destruction of this beautiful Jewel. We must realize no matter how wonderful or great or gifted God has allowed us to be, if we are not using those things to glorify God, God has every right to take them away from us. Will we offer the things that God has given us…
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Christian Devotional – March 13, 2017
As God continues speaking in Ezekiel chapter 26, we see him pronouncing judgment on the country of Tyre. These people have fallen away from God and are doing things that are displeasing and dishonouring to God. As God goes through and explains what his judgment is going to look like, we see the common theme again that God is using this as an opportunity to display his glory and to bring people who are witnesses of this events back to himself. When we see things that happen to other people, do we see them as a warning and as an opportunity to praise and glorify God? Do we rejoice in…
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Christian Devotional – March 10, 2017
As you read through Ezekiel chapter 25, we find that much of the contents here are very similar to the first two chapters in Amos. God is explaining his plans for judgment on the countries that surround Israel and Judah. It’s not just Israel and Judah that are falling away from the Lord, it’s all these other countries as well. God explains they are not without sin and as a result they will not be without judgement either. God will judge the people who have sinned. As Believers in Jesus Christ and as his followers, we may not understand God’s timing for judgement and we may not always agree with…
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Christian Devotional – March 9, 2017
Ezekiel chapter 24 is a very difficult chapter to read, and even more difficult to understand. Especially as we look at the second half of the chapter, where God explains that Ezekiel’s wife is going to die. God tells Ezekiel this and then commands him not to mourn for his wife. As we read through this section, it can be very difficult for us to understand why God would do something like this or allow something like this to happen to someone who loves him and serves him. The people also would have recognized that this was situation was unusual. Ezekiel does exactly as he’s commanded, and his wife does…
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Christian Devotional – March 8, 2017
The Book of Ezekiel is known for its many graphic images throughout the book to give examples of God’s judgment on his people. Ezekiel chapter 23 is no different. As you read through the description of the Two Sisters and all the sin that they have both committed, God compares them to the cities of Samaria and Jerusalem and likens what the sisters are doing to what the two cities have done. We read through the chapter, it can be very difficult to think about all the things that have been done and how God has been cast aside. Yet, so often that’s exactly how we treat God throughout our…
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Christian Devotional – March 7, 2017
As you read through Ezekiel chapter 22, God gives a lengthy discussion on all the sins that Israel has committed. They have done horrible things to each other in the presence of God. Then we come to the last two verses of the entire chapter verse 30 and 31. God indicates that he is looking for someone to stand in the gap between him and Israel. He sees all the wrongs they’ve committed, he knows all the evil things they have done, and he wants to see if there is anyone who can plead their case before him. Unfortunately, there is no one. There is no one who is capable…
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Christian Devotional – March 6, 2017
In Ezekiel chapter 21, God discusses the sword that he will use to exact his judgment upon the people of Israel. A lot of times when we think of God we are reminded of his mercy and his grace, but we must never forget his holiness. We have sinned against a holy God, and the people of Israel we’re going to come to the understanding that that was the case. They had lost the respect of the Holiness of God and as a result they had mocked him and disobeyed him. God would not stand for that any longer and he shares with Ezekiel his plans to bring about judgement…
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Christian Devotional – March 5, 2017
Reading through Ezekiel chapter 20 is like reading through a history of the people of Israel. It tells of all the amazing things that God has done for the people of Israel, but it also tells of all the disobedience of people is Israel as well. As we read through this we can easily see how God was frustrated with the people knowing all the things that he had done for them and provided for them and yet seeing how they responded to him and were treating him. At the end of the chapter though, things change. God has not given up on his people. God has not given up…
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Christian Devotional – March 2, 2017
In reading Ezekiel chapter 19, we see a person who is doing all the wrong things and who has not stopped to repent. God tells Ezekiel to write a lament for him. When we learn of sin in others’ lives, how do we respond? Are we secretly happy? Do we get apathetic? We are to view sin as God views sin, which means that we need to be crushed and desire repentance and restoration. Do we desire holiness through repentance in our own lives and in the lives of others?