Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – Ezekiel 22:23-31
Set – Ezekiel 22; Revelation 9
Go! – Ezekiel 22-24; Revelation 9
Ezekiel 22:23-31
23 The word of the Eternal came to me.
Eternal One: 24 Son of man, say to her, “You are a land plagued with drought during My wrath—[not a single drop of rain has fallen from the sky.” 25 Her prophets conspire in her midst like raging lions killing their prey; they have destroyed lives, stolen treasures and other valuable things; they have made many wives widows all over the city. 26 Her priests violate My laws and desecrate My holy things. They fail to distinguish between the sacred and profane. They no longer teach that there is a difference between pure and impure! They completely disregard My Sabbaths; as a result I am defamed among My people. 27 Her princes and officials are like a pack of wolves tearing apart their prey. They kill innocent people and ruin lives just to get what they want! 28 Her false prophets whitewash these wicked acts by claiming to receive divine visions, but they are all false! Their divination turns up only lies! They say, “This is what the Eternal Lord says . . . ,” when the Eternal Lord has not said anything to them at all. 29 Her people are full of wickedness: they are bullies and thieves; they have abused the poor and helpless; they have taken advantage of foreigners and perverted justice. 30 I searched for one man among them, a man who could build the wall and stand in the gap before Me and advocate for the land, a man who could convince Me not to destroy it; but I found no one. 31 Therefore, I will dump the fires of My fury on them, and the flames of My indignation will devour them. I will give them what they deserve.
So said the Eternal Lord.
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
Jerusalem became wicked throughout its very core. From the king to its lowliest citizen, from the vilest criminal element to the priesthood, the city’s citizenry turned from its trust and reliance on Me and became self-centered and trusted in their own strength and power. I sent My prophets to declare My word to them and plead for their repentance, but they would not repent. The people continued to live for themselves and lift up their false gods.
So, as I have with populations that refused to heed My warnings before, I determined to blot the city out of My site. I determined to level My judgment against them and destroy them completely. But before My judgment against the city and its inhabitants came, I gave them one more chance. I looked for one person who would stand as a hedge between My destroyer and the people of Israel who would defend them.
I exercised My grace just as I did with Abraham before My messengers went to Sodom and Gomorah. Then I looked for ten righteous people in the city to save Sodom, but ten could not be found. Now for My people’s protection, I only looked for one. Just one who would stand in the breech and help Me stop the evil that wreaked havoc across the city.
The sad thing about the city is there were some who believed in Me. There were some who had yet to bow to idols and who were still faithful in their worship. But none would stand up to the task and help Me save their brothers and sisters. Although they loved Me, they didn’t love their brothers and sisters enough to stand up for them and turn My wrath. No one stood as Moses did in the wilderness to tell Me, “If you destroy your people, destroy me, too.” You see, no one really understood how to love others as I love. Otherwise someone would have dared to stand in the gap… . But noone did.
Your culture today is much like Ezekiel found as I spoke to him about his nation and Jerusalem. Evil abounds. Men and women feel religious and spiritual, but don’t know Me. They search for something to satisfy the emptiness in their soul but look everywhere but to Me because they do not want to give up sovereignty of their lives to Me, the only way to salvation. I have sent My prophets to you in the form of pastors, Christian leaders, My word available in almost every language around the world.
But do you love your brothers and sisters enough to stand in the gap for them today? Are you willing to be like Moses and perish for them to plead their cases for My mercy and grace instead of My wrath? I still look for those individuals that are willing to love like I love. I still look for those that will stand in the gap and act as a hedge, a buffer, a speaker for Me. There are so few who really understand what I meant when I said, “There is no greater love, than when one lays down his life for another.”
To what length will you go for those around you?
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