August 22 - Ezekiel 22:17-23:49 | 2 Kings 24:20-25:2 | Jeremiah 52:3-5 | Jeremiah 39:1 | Ezekiel 24:1-14

Good morning everyone,

Today we begin with the Lord giving Ezekiel another prophecy of what was to become of the nation Judah. Her many kings, over the years and all the people of Jerusalem had over and over again abused the love, the compassion of Yahweh. They were a callous people disregarding their covenant with God, breaking all the the vows they’d made, shattering God’s heart and forcing Him to have to follow through with the promise He’d made regarding judgement, the consequence of choice, should they not obey His laws. So, in our reading we see Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon march his men right up the city’s walls where they kept Jerusalem under siege, which means they surrounded the city blocking anyone from going in or getting out, which would in effect prevent them from receiving food, water, any supplies at all, for two years, their fall inevitable.

If you listen closely to the words you read today you can hear the love and the hurt God has for His people. How difficult it is for Him to have to follow through with the vow He had made to correct them. Ahhh, I clearly remember the first time I had to punish one of my children with a spanking for doing something that was wrong, something that they needed to be chastened for, I found it most difficult to follow through on the promise I had made, “if you ….. then I will punish you.” I clearly remember the words I had heard, I don’t know where, “This will hurt me more than it will hurt you.” and it did, and yet it had to be done to, hopefully, help them to grow to be responsible adults which I believe they all are. 

God’s heart is the same for us, His children, today. He loves us so much that it causes Him immeasurable grief when we are rebellious and He is forced to correct us. He will allow us free will to do what ever we want, but when that flies in the face of what He has determined is right and wrong, there will be consequence of choice, a lesson to be learned. What I love is that in Romans 5:2-9 we’re told, “we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!”

Did you get that, very rarely will anyone will die for a righteous person, but while we were still sinners Christ died for us. He loves us enough to correct us, God loves us enough to send His only Son to die for us. There’s victory in Jesus, you guys know the song, right? It goes in part, “I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory, how He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me; I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood's atoning. Then I repented of my sins and won the victory.O victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever. He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him, He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.” 

Friends, if you feel like your life is right now under siege, praise God and look for the sin He is working to cleanse you of. God loves you and will continually work to help you be, and thank you Jesus, help me be, all that we can be in and through Him. Amen?

Have a great day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all …..