Good Morning All,
Most parents, especially young parents of
very young children, keep a close eye on their children. You see it in the playgrounds and parks. The children go play and the parents let them
go but keep a watchful eye on them. They
watch to see that no harm comes to the child.
They watch in order to enjoy the happiness that the child is
having. Sometimes the parent helps by
pushing the swing or the merry-go-round.
Whatever it is happens under the watchful eye of the loving parent.
Our verse is like that. The book of Ezekiel is quite a book. It is a long book; 48 chapters. It contains many visions and dreams. It is also one of the few books in the Bible
that can be very accurately dated.
Usually, the dates described in the Bible are given in ranges of
anywhere from a few hundred to several hundred-year span. Yet in Ezekiel 12 out of 13 of the divine
messages which Ezekiel receives are accurately dated. The book is also written in a triad form. It has three parts. The first part speaks of the oracles or
prophecies against Israel. The second
part speaks the oracles against the surrounding nations who destroy Israel and
the third part deals with the consolation or redemption of Israel. It is from this third part that our verse is
taken.
While the Bible is written to reveal to us
the nature of God, it also reveals something of our nature as well. In many ways, we are like Israel. We have been unfaithful to God. We have sought after other gods, made
allegiances or deals with the devil for some earthly pleasure or gain. Even though God is the faithful husband, we
are the unfaithful wife. Even though God
gives us all we need and loves us deeper than any love we can imagine; we turn
our backs, blame him for our problems and seek out other gods to replace Him.
Yet through it all, God continues to love
us; love us with a deep and powerful love which causes Him to send his one and
only Son to die in our place. He does
this so that you and I can once again be that pure bride, that faithful wife,
that loving partner. Once again God will
look to us with His face and pour out his Spirit on us. God pours out his Spirit on us in order to do
what our sinful nature cannot do and that is to remain faithful to Him. God sends his Spirit to guide us, to lead us,
to bring us to faith by his grace and to keep us in that faith.
Even when we seem the most lost, God is
there for us to protect us from all the devil throws at us; keeping his
watchful eye upon us to see that no harm comes to us. Even as our earthly battles rage, God grace
sustains us with the certainty of the knowledge of our salvation, eternity with
Jesus in heaven.
Gracious
Lord, your grace and your loving face are always upon us. Keep us safe from the tribulations of the
world and give to us the consolation of our soul and the comfort of our heart,
secure in the certainty of our salvation in you. In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.
God’s
Peace,
Pastor
Bret
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