Protected because God promises…

And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God: Because the enemy said of you, ‘Aha!’ and, ‘The ancient heights have become our possession,’ therefore prophesy, and say, Thus says the Lord God: Precisely because they made you desolate and crushed you from all sides, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations, and you became the talk and evil gossip of the people, therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God: Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and the hills, the ravines and the valleys, the desolate wastes and the deserted cities, which have become a prey and derision to the rest of the nations all around, therefore thus says the Lord God: Surely I have spoken in my hot jealousy against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, who gave my land to themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and utter contempt, that they might make its pasturelands a prey. Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I have spoken in my jealous wrath, because you have suffered the reproach of the nations. Therefore thus says the Lord God: I swear that the nations that are all around you shall themselves suffer reproach. (Ezekiel 36:1–7)

Reading the minor prophets is sometimes frightening, but mostly a comfort for it tells me what God is like in His holiness and in His faithfulness to His people. Here He declares to His prophet that no matter how badly the other nations treat them, He will not only deal with those nations, but also protect His people and cause them to prosper.

“But you, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel, for they will soon come home. For behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. And I will multiply people on you, the whole house of Israel, all of it. The cities shall be inhabited and the waste places rebuilt. And I will multiply on you man and beast, and they shall multiply and be fruitful. And I will cause you to be inhabited as in your former times, and will do more good to you than ever before. Then you will know that I am the Lord. I will let people walk on you, even my people Israel. And they shall possess you, and you shall be their inheritance, and you shall no longer bereave them of children. Thus says the Lord God: Because they say to you, ‘You devour people, and you bereave your nation of children,’ therefore you shall no longer devour people and no longer bereave your nation of children, declares the Lord God. And I will not let you hear anymore the reproach of the nations, and you shall no longer bear the disgrace of the peoples and no longer cause your nation to stumble, declares the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 36:8–15)

The NT says that all those who put their faith in God through His Son Jesus Christ are “Israel” and belong to Him. His new covenant includes these promises and adds even more. As I read and learn of what He tells Ezekiel, He speaks to me. No matter what I face in the hardships of life, or in the reproach of those who reject the good news of His redemption, He will prosper me and all who belong to His family through faith in His Son.

Jesus, You are my source of love, joy, peace, confidence, hope secured. When I die physically, I will live forever with You forever, made to be like You and never again experience the negatives of this life. You kept Your word to the Israelites, and You keep Your word to me. How amazing!

 
 

Be Prepared

Today’s devotional is about being prepared for spiritual battles. While many of them involve outside forces that test my faith or try to ruin my testimony, I am experiencing one that is about my trust in God no matter what happens to me personally.

Yesterday was my son’s wedding. The reception was at one of the best restaurants in Canada. Hubby dropped me at the door and went to park our vehicle. It was dark in the foyer. The hostess led me toward the stairs down to the special room for wedding guests. I could not see well and stepped into air, thankfully turned sideways and rolled halfway down the curve staircase. My first thought was that nothing was broken, but intense pain kept me motionless for several minutes. Staff were there to help, bring ice, and their worries. I spent the rest of the evening watching the bruises appear and assuring family and friends that I was going to survive.

This morning, it still hurts to breathe or blow my nose, and the toes on my left foot are very colorful. A few other places hurt to touch, but the amazing part is that this seems as a normal part of life as making the bed or looking for my car keys. Challenging, inconvenient, but I’m not mad at myself or complaining.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10–11)

The Lord has been at work. A month of thinking about His love and caring more about others than myself showed up in this event. Would I be worried about me and agonize over the way my body feels? It may come later, but my mind is on the delights of this wedding, the fun everyone had, and the deeply touching words of love and respect for each other expressed by the bride and groom have completely over-shadowed my situation. All I can say is, “Thank You, Jesus.”

MacArthur says adequate preparation is the key to spiritual victory. He illustrates with a recent physical war, yet points to spiritual warfare as needing the same preparation. This passage in Ephesians begins with, “Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might” and a description of putting on the armor that God gives us to win those battles, many times against doubt and fear. A few days ago, I used a quote: “Let the promises of God shine on your problems.” That is impossible if I don’t know what those promises are!

This preparation for battle means never neglecting prayer, worship, Bible study, accountability, and the other disciplines of faith. I know Jesus can deliver me even if I’m totally helpless, but He tells me to not be content with ignorant helplessness. I’m to know who He is and how He works so when the devil throws doubts, fears, and threats my way, it is easy to rely on the Lord rather than get in a panic when the challenges come.

As today’s devotional says, Christ guarantees ultimate victory, but I can lose individual battles if I neglect being prepared. It’s even possible to lapse into periods of spiritual lethargy, indifference, impotency, and ineffectiveness, but that’s utterly inconsistent with what the NT says to those who serve the Lord:

This charge I entrust to you . . .  my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith. (1 Timothy 1:18-19)

PRAY: Lord Jesus, keep me alert to what is going on when I begin to focus on anything else but You and Your great power. Thank You for protecting me in those times when I didn’t have my armor on and showing me what was missing to better prepare me for battle. I am especially thankful for a month of focusing on Your love and how I can show it to others, and staying filled with those thoughts last evening even when my body is screaming at me to feel sorry for myself. You are utterly amazing.

PONDER: No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits (or worldly motivations or selfish thinking), since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. (2 Timothy 2:4)