Day 250: Ez 29:1 - 32:31

It's amazing reading these passages and imagining the amount of faith that these prophets had to have possessed to speak to the men that they spoke to. It's very humbling to consider the fact that most of us shudder at the thought of having to offer a prophecy to a pier or even someone who is not as spiritually mature as us, and yet these prophets had no problem standing in front of kings and emperors and all sorts of powerful men and women who could have them killed with one nod of the head. We as believers need to believe God for the kind of faith that isn't even a little bit worried about what others can do to us. Whether we're worried about what they can do to our bodies or our reputations, there's absolutely nothing that man can do to us that compares to what God can do. God wants us to have faith in Him so that whether He wants us to talk to our neighbor or talk to the President of the United States, we will be able to put everything we have into His hands and just do what He said.

- Father, help me to hear and hear more of Your Word so that I can build up my faith stronger and stronger every single day. Help me to have to kind of faith that fears nothing but rather believes that You will be heard through my voice. -

Day 249: Ez 26:1 - 28:26

In this passage, we see a perfect example of the Biblical principle that pride comes before the fall. I must admit that I read that New Testament plenty of times before I found it in myself to make it to the Old Testament and it's very interesting because the names Tyre and Sidon have long been familiar, but only in the same sense as Sodom and Gamorah. Tyre and Sidon were 2 cities that seemed to have everything going for them, but instead of honoring God and understanding that He provided them with those blessings, they decided that they were gods and they were the only reason that they were so successful. God wants all of us to understand that if we get the stupid idea that we are responsible for all of our own success, God will allow that to be tested by leaving us all alone with nothing but our "success" to keep us standing. And inevitably, we will fall face-first just like Tyre and Sidon and just like Sodom and Gamorah.

- Lord, Help me to never allow my pride to get the best of me. Help me to always remember that You are the reason that I am where I am and You will always be the One I rely on not only to stay alive, but to thrive in this world. -

Day 248: Ez 23:15 - 25:17

It's difficult to read some passages like this in the Bible and not find yourself being a little shocked by the bluntness of the writer. As much as we would like to step around or avoid the truth, the way that the people of Israel (and many in our generation) were acting is nothing short of spiritual prostitution. It's amazing how many people are willing to simply sell their soul to the highest bidder. We see people everyday who will just throw their hearts at any and every new fad that comes along. Whether it's material possessions, "intelligent" theories, popular leaders, or "progressive thinking," the more people give their hearts away, the more worthless their "allegiance" becomes. God doesn't want to get somebody's second-hand commitment. God doesn't want to be thrown into the mix of our passions just like another stranger is added to the list of men that a prostitute has slept with. God wants us to offer Him whole, unadulterated, pure passion that is reserved totally for Him and nobody else.

- Lord, help us to warn against spiritual prostitution and help us to stay far away from it ourselves. You are a jealous God and You demand our complete devotion. You are worthy of all of our praise and that is what You will receive from us. -

Day 257: Ez 20:49 - 23:14

It's important to note in all of these books of prophecy that none of the prophets seem to sugar coat their message. It has become a very popular thing to turn our sermons into something less offensive and more "palatable" to the general public, but in doing so, we take away the urgency and the truth behind the words that we say. It's very common to hear a preacher explain that the reason he doesn't tell it straight is because he loves his congregation too much and he doesn't want to hurt their feelings. But the truth is, that isn't love at all. The reason preachers won't be honest with their congregations is because they're selfish and too afraid of someone looking down on them for hurting their feelings. If those preachers truly loved the people they were ministering to, they would do everything possible keep them from going to Hell - even if that meant hurting their feelings. I realize that the case was a little different in the book of Ezekiel, I mean, the children of Israel were going to be judged no matter what, but the same basic concept applies - if we really love those who we're called to speak to, we should be willing to be honest with them and say exactly what God tells us to say.

- Lord, give me the strength to say exactly what You want me to say when You want me to say it. Help me to not be intimidated by those around me because I know that there's nothing they can do to the real me. They may be able to hurt my flesh, but that's absolutely nothing compared to what will happen if I turn away from You. -

Day 256: Ez 18:1 - 20:48

One thing that we must always be aware of is the fact that God will make Himself known one way or another. God Himself said that every eye will see and every tongue will confess that He is the Lord. Now, as wonderful as it is to read this verse or study the verses in chapter 20, this doesn't mean that in the end everyone will be able to go to Heaven. Sure there will be many of us who will have gone to Heaven praising the Lord saying that He is Lord because He has revealed it to us through His Grace and Mercy; but there will also be those who will confess that He is all powerful not because of His Grace and Mercy but because of the judgment and suffering that they have received as a result of not believing His Word. In this light, I think it's so imperative that we understand that it is our job to make sure that everyone we come in contact with will be in that first group. God will ultimately make His power known to everyone and everything in existence and it is our job to reflect that power here on earth so that everyone around us experiences that side of His power and not the other.

- Lord, I know that I will be in that first group of people who will bow down and worship You because I have experienced You mercy and grace. Help me to do everything I can to ensure that everyone I come into contact with will be standing right there beside me. -

Day 255: Ez 16:1 - 17:24

In these passages, the prophet compares the nation of Israel to a prostitute. It's sad to say that there are many people and groups in our generation who have done the exact same thing. Just as faithfulness is one of the most important things in a marriage, God expects for the church to be faithful to Him. So many times the church has sold herself to the highest bidder. The church has found so many hundreds of opportunities to compromise and has taken every single one of them. We need to get to the place where compromise isn't even in our vocabulary. The day that God stops being our main focus is the day that we stop loving Him and begin loving ourselves. There are so many congregations out there doing everything they can to grow their numbers so they can "change lives" yet every word that comes out of their mouth does nothing but tickle peoples' ears and push them deeper into a life of compromise. If we truly love God and if we truly love people, then we will be faithful and speak only the Word and do only the things that God has told us.

- Lord, help Your church to remain faithful. Give her the strength and the fortitude to continue on and keep her eyes set on pleasing You and reaching the lost. -

Day 244: Ez 12:1 - 15:8

In the last part of chapter 14, the Prophet makes a point that is so incredibly valid for today's generation. He talks about the fact that if God finds 3 righteous people in the land, He will destroy everyone except for those 3 righteous people. He explains that the evil around them will not necessarily destroy them, but the simple fact that they are righteous is not enough to save all of those around them. It seems there are so many Christians today who seem to think that the fact that they're saved is enough to bring their whole family to heaven. But Jesus clearly states that the only way to Heaven is through Him. We as believers must stop assuming that we can just bring a bunch of people to Heaven based on our own salvation and begin stepping out and reaching those who need to hear the true and honest Gospel that will save their souls. It may be more convenient to just let them "follow your lead," but in the end, convenience won't make the difference.

- Lord, help me to have the faith and the boldness to step out and share Your Word with others. Help me to remember that I can't bring anyone with me based on my own salvation, they too must believe in order to be saved. -