The prophet’s description of Jerusalem’s spiritual adultery points up to God’s contempt for both their idolatry and promiscuity in general. He used the concept of a prostitute to describe something so painful and detestable to Him.

Lewdness is so rampant in our media and culture. How it must grieve the Lord to see the desecration of a subject so dear to His heart, the bond and expression of love between a husband and wife.

What society and media says is OK is NOT OK with God. We must guard our hearts.

PRAYER: Father, grace us to live lives of moral purity of heart and deed. We want to be true to You and to our families.

READING: Ezek. 23

To the prophets was given special insight into the future … events and people movements that God ordained. This special knowledge was always used to accomplish God’s purposes, to reveal His Heavenly control over the events that happened on the earth.

With God, everything is as it was in a book. He can look at the past, present, and future with the flip of His page. He has the ability to alter the future to embrace His will. Maintaining good relationship with Him is of utmost importance.

As the songwriter sang,

“Many things about tomorrow
I don’t seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand”

Our tomorrows are secure with the Lord.

PRAYER:  Gracious Father in Heaven, I trust my life into Your hands. Let my future serve You and be useful in Your Kingdom. I don’t live for myself … I live for You.

READING: Ezekiel 21,22

God’s reputation was at stake when He made a promise. This phrase occurred in coordination with His promises to His people, Israel. They were the people known by His name.

“A good name is better than great riches,” says the writer of Proverbs 22. Too often men take short cuts to obtain great riches, trashing their good name to do so. When riches fade, what do you have? You could have had a good name.

PRAYER: Father in Heaven, guide us along right paths for Thy name’s sake. We want to honor You with every decision that we make. Yours is the glory.

READING: Ezekiel 19,20

Ezekiel 18 becomes a treatise on the wages of sin and repentance.

In summation, God develops the concept that each man is responsible for his own actions. If he turns from wickedness by repenting,”He shall surely live, he shall not die.” [Ez. 18:28b]

This prefigures Christ and His message of eternal life offered to those who repent and accept the righteousness of God by faith. The big difference, Christ actually takes up abode in our lives by His Spirit and lives out righteousness through us. That’s the gospel.

PRAYER:  Lord, You have offered a love so amazing and undeserved. We worship You and thank You for the abundant and eternal life You offer. We want to live for You.

READING: Ezekiel 17,18

Ezekiel was to confront Jerusalem about her sin.  Confrontation is often a vital ingredient to spiritual change.

The New Testament often uses the expression, “Teach and Admonish.” The root word for admonish is neutheteo, which means to lovingly confront or challenge. Souls have a chance to repent and change when they are confronted.

PRAYER: Father, give us the boldness and compassion to confront those bound by their sin. Set the captive free.

READING: Ezekiel 15, 16

God commanded Ezekiel to perform tasks for the purpose of communicating His message to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. He lived in the proverbial “Glass House.”

In essence, this was the call upon a prophet … yield his life to bringing God’s message, however strange it may be.

New Testament Christians are likewise called to be prophet, priest, and king. Our lives are on display for all to see. Our lives are the only Bible some people read. It occasionally gets painful when God corrects His grammar on display in our daily demeanor.

PRAYER:  Lord, my life is Your open book to use. I am desperate for the daily infilling of Your Holy Spirit to empower me to live for You.

READING: Ezekiel 12-14

God had all those that grieved and lamented over the detestable practices marked on their foreheads. He seemed to be pleased with those that felt the same way He did about the sinful practices and idolatry.

As we become worshippers who constantly behold the glory of the Lord, we love what God loves and hate what God hates. The ministry of the Old Testament priests was to teach the people what was sacred and what was profane.

It’s not a light matter. God shares His heartbeat with us and His Spirit uses our lives to be salt and light to a fallen world.

PRAYER: Father, to carry Your heartbeat in this fallen world is our desire. We want to remain close to You. We want our light to burn brightly. Fill us daily with Your Holy Spirit and Your Word.

READING: Ezekiel 8-11

God used Ezekiel’s message to clarify His displeasure and warn the Jews of the consequences of their habitual idolatry and detestable practices. He wouldn’t let them continue in their sin without suffering its consequences.

God still hates sin, and uses the loving but firm reproof of His Holy Spirit to deal with us when we begin straying. It’s evidence that He still loves us and desires that our lives keep approaching the standards of holiness synonymous with His character.

” Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”  [Hebrews 12:14]

PRAYER: Lord, keep Your hand of correction upon me so that my life can be the sweet aroma that You truly desire.

READING: Ezekiel 5-7

Ezekiel points up the critical necessity of the warning. He goes so far as to say when it’s withheld, the burden of sin falls also upon the authority who failed to provide it.

This principle is essential when educating young people. A clear warning must be given to young offenders to give them time and space to correct their behavior and, in essence, repent. Parents must also become proficient at using the warning.

When warning children, care must be taken to follow through on any threats made. If not, the warning loses its impact. It becomes a lie.

PRAYER: Father, in whatever role we find ourselves in when training children, give us wisdom to issue timely and effective warnings. 

READING: Ezekiel 2-4

Jeremiah voiced the pain and lament of the Jews carried away in exhile, but Ezekiel voiced the inspiration and vision God gave during the punishment. Pain and revelation occurring almost simultaneously. How can it be?

The lesson to the believer is that in the midst of trial, there can be great growth in God. Jesus  said, “In the world you shall have tribulation. But be of good cheer … I have OVERCOME THE WORLD.” [Jn.16:33]

PRAYER: Lord, in the midst of my trial, I will yet trust You. Speak to me. Encourage me. Heal me. Fill me with Your precious Holy Spirit and faith.

READING: Lam. 4,5; Ezekiel 1