Ezekiel 35:1-15
‘You will be desolate, O Mount Seir, you and all of Edom. Then they
will know that I am the Lord’ (Ezekiel 35:15). The people of Edom knew
You, Lord, as their Judge. We thank You there is a much better way of
knowing You. We can know You as our Saviour. Those who refuse to come to
Jesus Christ, trusting in Him as Saviour, place themselves under God’s
judgment. They are ‘condemned already because they have not believed in
the Name of God’s one and only Son.’ They will know the Lord as their
Judge - but they could have known Him as their Saviour if they had
submitted to Your saving purpose for their lives: ‘God did not send His
Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through
Him’ (John 3:17-18). Each of us must choose. You're asking us a very
important question - Do you know Christ as Saviour, or will you face Him
as Judge? Give us faith, Lord - faith in Your Son, our Saviour, the
Lord Jesus Christ.
Ezekiel 36:1-38
‘I will look on you with
favour’ (Ezekiel 36:9). Through Christ our Saviour, You, Lord, look upon
us with favour. Teach us to rejoice in the ‘wonderful grace of Jesus.’
It is ‘greater than all our sin.’ It 'reaches us.' We thank You, Lord,
for Your wonderful grace: "Let me introduce you to a friend called
Grace. Doesn’t care about your past or your many mistakes. He’ll cover
your sins in a warm embrace. Let me introduce to a friend called Grace."
"‘His grace reaches lower than your worst mistake and His love will run
further than you can run away." "He believes in lost causes when common
sense would just give up. He believes in lost causes and changes people
with His love. There’s nobody too far gone, no one beyond His reach. He
believes in lost causes ‘cause He believed in me" (Phillips, Craig and
Dean). Teach us to let Jesus be our Joy!
Ezekiel 37:1-28
It was
‘a valley of dry bones’ (Ezekiel 37:1-2). Then, Lord, You changed
everything - ‘I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live’
(Ezekiel 37:5). What a difference You make! ‘Breathe on me, Breath of
God. Fill me with life anew’ (Church Hymnary, 103). What happens, Lord,
when Your Spirit breathes new life into Your Church? - ‘The Church that
seemed in slumber has now risen from its knees and dry bones are
responding with the fruits of new birth.’ ‘Holy Spirit, we welcome You. Holy Spirit, we welcome You.
Let the breeze of Your presence flow that Your children here might truly
know how to move in the Spirit’s flow... .
Please accomplish in us today some new work of loving grace, we pray.
Unreservedly, have Your way. Holy Spirit, we welcome You’ (Mission
Praise, 274,241).
