Such was said about Daniel by those trying to discredit him.  His integrity, work ethic, and deportment were above reproach.  Finally, they had to coerce the king into manufacturing an ordinance that would expose Daniel’s allegiance to the real God. Even then, Daniel’s integrity and trust in God spared his life when he was thrown to the lions.

David declared that his integrity preserved him and kept his feet from falling when the shakings of life came.

Let’s give God lives of integrity, enabled by His grace.

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord, I can’t do it by myself.  I need Your Spirit within to lead me into all truth that my walk is blameless.

DAILY READING:  Dan. 6-8

After Nebuchadnezzar had set up the 90 ft. tall golden image, he instructed all to bow when they heard the music.  The three Hebrew boys, however, didn’t and were cast into the fiery furnace.  In one of the outstanding miracles in the Bible, they were not consumed and had not even the smell of smoke upon their clothes.

We are hereby warned not to bow down to the allures of the day.  When we bow only to the Lord, He comes and manifests Himself to us the way the Hebrew boys were visited by the fourth man in the fire, which we believe was the pre-incarnate Christ Himself.

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord, thank You for showing Your power to the Hebrew boys.  Show Your power and presence to us also.

DAILY READING:  Dan. 3-5

Daniel saw an impressive image when God revealed Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to him.  A gold head, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet of a clay and iron mixture.  These elements represented future kingdoms, but he also saw a small rock not made by human hands.  That rock smashed the image and became so great that it filled the earth.

That rock was Jesus.  His kingdom is in process to overcome all others.  The kingdoms of this earth, they have become the Kingdoms of our LORD and of His Christ.  He shall reign forever.  Hallelujah!

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord,Jesus, You are my rock, my foundation.  I trust You and will not fear my future because You are in control.

DAILY READING:  Dan. 1,2;  Matt. 24

Flowing from the temple he saw in his vision, Ezekiel described a stream of water that eventually became a river which he could not cross.  His guide in the vision declared, “Where the river flows everything will live.”

For whatever portion of your life that is dead or in need of healing, begin seeking the Lord.  Ask Him to let His river of life flow into your need.  He is the Life Giver.

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord, I need Your River flowing into and over my life today.  Heal me, refresh me, keep me close to You in all that I think and do.

DAILY READING:  Ezek. 47, 48

Zadok was a priest who aided David when Absalom revolted.  He also anointed Solomon as king, and became his first High Priest.  His descendants were staunch opponents of paganism during Ezekiel’s ministry and were given special significance and privilege by the prophet because of their  faithfulness to the Lord.  They were the only priests God wanted to stand before him because all the others had given in to idolatry.

We are called to give this quality of devotion to the Lord, not bowing down to the attractive elements of life that try to pull us away from God.

DAILY PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, we want to worship only You.  Be our focus all day long.  Lead us in paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake.

DAILY READING:  Ezek. 44-6

Whereas the temple shown to Ezekiel in a vision never actually existed, what is it’s meaning?

To his contemporaries who had witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem, it was hope that God still wanted to be among them.  To us, it can point to the comforting truth that God wants to live in us, for we are told that we are the temple of God’s Holy Spirit.  He describes the glory of the Lord entering and filling the temple from the east.

Let God’s glory enter your temple today, and be filled with His Spirit.

DAILY PRAYER:  Lord, here is my temple for You to live in and fill.  I empty myself to give You room.

DAILY READING;  Ezek. 41-3

God took Ezekiel on a supernatural tour of the Holy City, escorted by a bronze man with a measuring stick in his hand.  He showed him many details of the city, as if the Google cameras were rolling, mounted on a drone.

The Lord knows where you live, where you work, where you sleep, and He even knows what’s in your closets.  Nothing is hidden from Him.

He hears your prayers, your cries for help.  He knows your heart, and wants to put His mighty hand upon your life, just as He did Ezekiel’s.

DAILY PRAYER:  Father in heaven, place Your mighty hand upon me today, and lead me by Your Spirit that I might accomplish Your will.  Lead my steps.

DAILY READING:   Ezek. 37-40

Thus said the Lord through the prophet Ezekiel to His people.  God said He would do it for the sake of His Holy Name, and that He would move them to follow His decrees with a heart of flesh rather than a heart of stone.

Being full of His Spirit with a heart that He has crafted and conditioned will yield a fruitful life of purpose and reward.

Give Him your heart today.

DAILY PRAYER:  Father, forgive us for following our own ways.  We follow You.  Fill us today with Your Holy Spirit.

DAILY READING:  Ezek. 34-6

None of us can begin to qualify as a righteous person, for as scripture states, “All have sinned and COME SHORT of the glory of God.”  Gratefully, the LORD sent His Firstborn to pay the penalty for our sin.  The sinless died for the sinful.  He is our righteousness which we put on like a new garment when we accept Him as our Savior.

As Ezekiel clarifies, all our right living is nullified by one act of unrighteousness.  Aren’t you glad
Christ did not mess up?  We exist because He is our Righteous One.

DAILY PRAYER;  Father, thank You for sending Jesus to redeem us from sin, and thereby become our righteousness.

DAILY READING:  Ezek. 31-3

Ezekiel had the gruesome task of declaring God’s judgments upon nations and leaders for their sins. Often, at the conclusion of his indictment, he would state, “Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

God has His ways of revealing His power to us. He had to knock Saul of Tarsus off his ride.  He drowned Pharaoh in the midst of the Red Sea.   He caused the great Nebuchadnezzar to walk on all fours and eat grass like an ox.

We are wise to acknowledge Him in all our ways, and to submit our every plan to His guidance.  He will direct our work in truth.

DAILY PRAYER;  Lord, You are the great king of all the earth.  We submit to Your lordship and humbly ask that You lead us in paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake.

DAILY READING:  Ezek. 26-30