Category: Devotional

Grief, Glory, and God’s Eternal Purposes

Grief is a complex and deeply personal experience that manifests in various ways. Some people express it openly, with tears and lament, while others may internalize their sorrow, showing little outward signs of their inner turmoil. The Christian response to grief is multifaceted. We are called to mourn with those who mourn, showing compassion and empathy. Yet, as Christians, our response is also shaped by our hope in Christ and the knowledge that God is sovereign over all circumstances, even the painful ones.

Ezekiel’s experience in chapter 24, where he was commanded not to outwardly mourn the loss of his wife, reminds us that sometimes, grief is not just about expressing sorrow but about trusting in God’s greater plan. Outward expressions of grief can be important, but they are not the ultimate measure of our response to loss. True comfort comes from knowing that, despite the pain and suffering we experience, God is working all things together for His eternal purposes.

This doesn’t always lessen the immediate sting of grief, but it provides a framework for understanding our suffering within the larger context of God’s redemptive plan. We may not always understand the “why” behind our pain, but we can take small comfort in the reality that God is weaving even our grief into His glory-filled purposes.

The Allure of Destruction

Sin and evil rarely present themselves as dangerous or destructive. Instead, they are often wrapped in enticing packages, appealing to our fleshly desires and offering fleeting moments of pleasure. Whether it’s indulging in a secret sin, embracing a lifestyle that contradicts God’s commands, or simply turning a blind eye to the ways of the world, evil always promises quick rewards and instant gratification.

Yet, as today’s reading shows, the good times don’t last. The path of sin and evil ultimately leads us away from God and, therefore, away from salvation. As Ezekiel warned, sin’s consequences are dire. The destruction may not come immediately, but it is inevitable. What seemed like a harmless indulgence can quickly turn into a trap, leading to spiritual decay and, ultimately, destruction.

In Ezekiel 24:13, God speaks through the prophet about the people’s sins: “Because I tried to cleanse you, but you refused to be cleansed. So you will not be cleansed from your filthiness again until I have satisfied my fury on you.” The allure of sin led the people of Israel to resist God’s attempts at purification, and they suffered the consequences.

Today, we face similar temptations. The world offers countless distractions and temptations that seem harmless or even good on the surface. But if we are not vigilant, we risk being led down a path that takes us further from God. The temporary pleasures of sin are not worth the eternal consequences.

Let us not be fooled by the attractive facade of sin and evil. Instead, let us seek God’s wisdom and strength to resist temptation, knowing that true joy and peace come from following Him.

Merciful Judgement

As we read through Ezekiel 20:1-22:16, one of the most striking themes is the tension between God’s judgment and His mercy. The passage reveals a pattern of Israel’s repeated rebellion against God, contrasted with God’s persistent mercy. The phrase that stands out is, “You will know I am the Lord when I repay your wickedness with mercy.”

In today’s world, mercy can seem almost extinct—especially in the harsh and unforgiving environment of the internet. Judgment is quick, and compassion often seems in short supply. Yet, here we see a profound aspect of God’s character: His willingness to extend mercy even when judgment is warranted.

God’s mercy doesn’t erase the reality of our sin or the consequences that might follow. Instead, it highlights how undeserving we are of His compassion. It’s precisely because we recognize the depth of our wrongdoing and the just punishment that should follow that His mercy becomes even more astonishing.

Ezekiel shows us that God’s judgment and mercy are not opposing forces but are deeply interconnected. When we reach a point of “hating ourselves because of the evil we have done,” it’s in that moment of humility and repentance that God’s mercy shines brightest. We know the death that should await us, and in contrast, we see mercy as the undeserved, overwhelming grace of God.

The world often offers judgment without mercy, but God offers mercy even in the midst of judgment. This mercy doesn’t ignore sin; rather, it transforms us, leading us to a deeper understanding of God’s love and justice. As we reflect on this, let’s remember that true mercy is rare and precious—something that God offers freely, even when we least deserve it.

God Speaks on Deconstruction

In today’s world, deconstruction has become a common response to the discomfort many feel when confronted with aspects of the Christian faith that challenge modern sensibilities. Often, people begin to question, and eventually reject, core doctrines or moral teachings because they believe God’s ways don’t align with what they perceive to be loving, just, or fair. This mindset assumes that God is somehow flawed, outdated, or wrong—leading people to attempt to remake Him in their own image, according to their own standards.

But this approach is nothing new. In Ezekiel 18:25-29, God directly addresses the Israelites’ complaints that His ways were not just. The people argued that their understanding of justice was superior to God’s, but the Lord responded with a sobering truth: it is not God who is unjust, but humanity that fails to understand His perfect ways.

Ezekiel 18:25-29 (NLT):

“Yet you say, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right!’ Listen to me, O people of Israel. Am I the one not doing what’s right, or is it you? … And yet the people of Israel keep saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right!’ O people of Israel, it is you who are not doing what’s right, not I.”

Deconstruction promises a “better” version of God—one who aligns more closely with our own ideals, a deity built in our image rather than the other way around. However, this pursuit is nothing more than a false promise. Instead of leading to greater freedom or understanding, it ultimately leads to confusion and spiritual disillusionment. The tragic irony is that, in attempting to make God more palatable to our modern tastes, we strip away the very essence of who He is—His holiness, justice, and truth.

When we find ourselves at odds with God’s commands or character, the problem isn’t with God; it’s with our limited understanding. The call for every believer is not to reshape the faith to fit our preferences but to submit ourselves to God’s perfect will, trusting that His ways, though often mysterious, are always right.

Deconstruction may offer the allure of a more accommodating faith, but it is a hollow promise. A God remade in our image is powerless to save, transform, or offer the eternal life we seek. Instead, we must cling to the true God, whose ways are higher than our ways and whose thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). Only in Him do we find the fullness of life, grace, and truth.

The Love You Seek

In Ezekiel 16, God compares Jerusalem to an unfaithful bride who, instead of being grateful for His love and provision, turns to other lovers—false gods and worldly alliances. The tragic truth is that she receives the kind of love she seeks: a love that uses her, takes everything from her, and ultimately abandons her.

This principle is timeless. The love you seek will determine the kind of love you receive.

If you seek the love of the Lord, you will find grace, mercy, and protection. God’s love is sacrificial and unconditional. It’s a love that gives even when it’s not deserved and protects even when we’ve made mistakes. For example, the prodigal son in Luke 15 experiences this love firsthand. After squandering his inheritance and ending up destitute, he returns home expecting wrath but instead receives a father’s warm embrace and full restoration. The son sought the world’s pleasures but ultimately realized that true love and security were found only in his father’s house.

On the other hand, if you seek the love of the world, you will receive a love that is transactional and conditional. The world’s love is based on what you can provide—whether it’s success, beauty, power, or something else. Once you no longer fulfill those conditions, you’re discarded. Consider the story of Hollywood stars who, after reaching the peak of their fame, are quickly forgotten when they are no longer “marketable.” Their lives often reflect this sad reality: once adored, they find themselves alone and broken when the spotlight fades.

This is also true in personal relationships. People who build their identity around pleasing others or maintaining a certain image often find themselves empty and alone when they can no longer meet those expectations. The love they sought was never truly love; it was a facade that crumbled when reality set in.

The love of God offers a stark contrast. It’s a love that doesn’t waver based on our performance or circumstances. When we seek Him, we find a love that is steadfast and unchanging, a love that will never use or discard us but instead will always welcome us back with open arms.

In the end, the love you seek will determine the course of your life. Will you choose the fleeting and conditional love of the world, or will you seek the eternal and unconditional love of the Lord? The choice is yours, and it will shape everything that follows.

Loving People to Death

Ezekiel 13:22 says, “You have discouraged the righteous with your lies, but I didn’t want them to be sad. And you have encouraged the wicked by promising them life, even though they continue in their sins” (NLT). This passage is a sharp rebuke against false prophets who, rather than warning the people of the consequences of their sinful ways, offer them false comfort and assurance. The prophets are telling people what they want to hear, rather than the truth that could save them.

Today, well-meaning Christians sometimes fall into a similar trap by embracing the world’s self-centered version of “love.” In an attempt to be compassionate or inclusive, they may affirm lifestyles and behaviors that are clearly contrary to God’s Word. Whether it’s affirming same-sex unions or advocating for surgical transitions for minors, these actions often stem from a desire to be loving and supportive. However, when such affirmations contradict biblical teachings, they promise life when there is only death.

True love does not ignore the truth. Jesus loved sinners deeply, yet He never affirmed their sin. Instead, He called them to repentance, knowing that true life is found not in indulging sinful desires but in turning away from them and following God. To offer false assurances in the name of love is to abandon the very foundation of the gospel, which calls for repentance and transformation through Christ.

As Christians, we are called to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). This means we must stand firm on biblical truth, even when it’s unpopular, while also showing compassion and grace. Our goal should be to point people to the life that is truly life—life that is found in Christ alone. By doing so, we fulfill our duty as followers of Jesus, guiding others away from the path of destruction and toward the path of life.

Perverting Worship

Worship is more than singing songs or performing rituals; it is the expression of our reverence, love, and obedience to God. True worship is rooted in the recognition of God’s holiness, majesty, and authority. It involves aligning our hearts and actions with God’s will, living in a way that honors Him.

In Ezekiel 8, we see a vivid example of how Israel perverted worship. God gave Ezekiel a vision of the temple in Jerusalem, where idolatrous practices were being conducted in secret. The people had turned the temple, the very place dedicated to God’s holy presence, into a house of idols. The leaders and priests, who were supposed to guide the people in true worship, were themselves engaged in corrupt practices. They thought they could hide their sins, saying, “The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land” (Ezekiel 8:12, NLT). But God did see, and He was grieved by how they had desecrated His sanctuary.

This passage serves as a warning to us today. While we may not bow to physical idols, we can still fall into the trap of idolatry. Anything that takes the place of God in our lives—whether it be success, money, relationships, or even religious traditions—can become an idol. We must be vigilant in examining our hearts and our worship practices to ensure that they are truly centered on God.

Jesus emphasized that true worshipers will worship the Father in “spirit and truth” (John 4:24, NLT). This means our worship must be sincere, coming from a heart that is fully devoted to God, and it must be in accordance with His truth as revealed in Scripture. Let us strive to keep our worship pure and focused on God alone, avoiding the mistakes of Israel by not allowing anything to corrupt our devotion to Him.

Defeat as Discipline

In today’s readings, we encounter a challenging truth: not every obstacle or hardship is meant to be overcome. Sometimes, the “bad things” that happen to us are actually God’s way of protecting or disciplining us.

Ezekiel 3:20 (NLT) presents a sobering warning: “If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths.” Here, God emphasizes that even the righteous are not exempt from discipline. If they turn away from their righteousness, God may place obstacles in their path, not to be overcome, but as a form of discipline.

In Jeremiah 28, the false prophet Hananiah tells the people of Judah that God will break the yoke of Babylon and free them within two years. However, Jeremiah counters this by saying that their captivity is God’s will and must be endured. Hananiah’s false prophecy leads to his death, underscoring the severity of trying to escape or misrepresent God’s discipline.

These passages remind us that not every challenge is meant to be overcome. Sometimes, what we perceive as obstacles are actually God’s protective hand or corrective discipline at work. When we try to “escape” these challenges, we might miss the lesson or the protection God intends for us.

Rather than rushing to overcome every difficulty, we need to ask ourselves: Is this obstacle God’s way of protecting me? Is this hardship His discipline? Trusting in God’s plan, even when it involves discomfort, can lead to greater growth and alignment with His will.

Consuming Conviction

In Ezekiel 3, we encounter the striking image of the prophet being instructed to eat a scroll. This was not just any scroll but one filled with words of “lamentation and mourning and woe” (Ezekiel 2:10). Despite its bitter content, when Ezekiel obeys and consumes the scroll, it tastes “as sweet as honey” in his mouth (Ezekiel 3:3).

Why would something so bitter taste sweet? The answer lies in the transformative power of God’s word. Ezekiel was being prepared for a difficult task: to speak God’s truth to a rebellious and stubborn people. God knew that for Ezekiel to deliver His message with the necessary conviction and authority, the prophet first needed to fully internalize—consume—God’s word.

This act of consuming the scroll is more than a symbolic gesture; it is a profound spiritual reality. For us today, it highlights the importance of not just reading or hearing God’s word but fully imbibing it, letting it sink deep into our hearts and minds. Only then can we speak with the conviction required to confront a world often resistant to the truth.

In Chapter 2, God warns Ezekiel that the people he is being sent to are obstinate and rebellious. They are not going to be easily swayed by gentle words or half-hearted messages. Ezekiel’s mission was not to comfort them with platitudes but to confront them with the stark reality of their sin and the impending judgment if they did not repent.

This task required more than courage; it demanded a deep, personal conviction that could only come from a profound encounter with God’s truth. Ezekiel’s consumption of the scroll was God’s way of ensuring that His prophet was not merely a mouthpiece but a living embodiment of the message he was to deliver.

In our own lives, we too are called to speak truth in a world that is often rebellious, stubborn, and resistant to God’s word. But before we can do that effectively, we must first consume the truth ourselves. We must allow God’s word to penetrate every part of our being until it becomes a part of us. It is only then that we can speak with the kind of conviction that pierces through the hardened hearts and minds of those around us.

Just as Ezekiel’s message was vital for the people of his time, our message is critical for the people of our time. They, too, are living in rebellion, often unaware of the impending consequences of their actions. We have the responsibility to share God’s truth with them, not timidly, but with boldness and clarity.

But this boldness is not something we can manufacture on our own. It comes from having fully consumed God’s word, allowing it to transform us from the inside out. When we do, our message will be not just words, but life-giving truth that can turn even the most rebellious hearts back to God.

So, let us take the example of Ezekiel to heart. Let us consume the truth of God’s word fully, so that we can speak it with conviction, no matter how rebellious or hostile the audience may be. For in doing so, we fulfill our calling as messengers of God’s unchanging truth in a world that desperately needs to hear it.

For Now Isn’t Forever

In our journey through life, we often find ourselves adjusting to our circumstances, whether they be moments of joy or seasons of hardship. This adjustment, while necessary, can sometimes deceive us into believing that our current situation is permanent. Psychologists refer to this tendency as the “status quo bias,” where we assume that the way things are now is how they will continue to be, leading us to resist change or fail to anticipate it.

I experienced this personally when my mother-in-law suffered a brain aneurysm. The aneurysm left her unable to recover, and though her body continued to function, the prognosis was bleak. For five days, our family sat with her in the hospital, watching and waiting. It was shocking how quickly the surreal became routine. The beeping machines, the sterile smell of the hospital, the cost of parking—they all became a new normal. When she finally passed on that fifth day, it felt as though she had died again, as we were jolted out of a reality we had inadvertently settled into.

The story of King Zedekiah demonstrates a similar situation. Zedekiah was granted a temporary reprieve when the Babylonian forces withdrew from Jerusalem to face another threat. Instead of seeking God or using this time to prepare, Zedekiah seemed to assume that this new reality would persist. He mistook the pause in pressure as a lasting peace. But as we read in Jeremiah 37, that peace was fleeting. The Babylonians returned, and Jerusalem’s fate was sealed.

Like Zedekiah, we can easily become complacent, mistaking temporary relief as a permanent state. But as Christians, we are called to live with a different mindset. We are reminded in Scripture to always be vigilant, to be in a constant state of readiness for whatever God may call us to next. We are not to settle into our current circumstances, assuming they will last forever, but rather to trust that God is at work in every season, preparing us for His next move.

Our lives are full of transitions, and while it’s natural to adapt to our surroundings, we must not let our temporary circumstances define our expectations for the future. Whether in times of peace or in the midst of trials, we should continually seek God, asking Him what He desires to teach us and how He wants us to prepare for what lies ahead.

Let us remember that for now isn’t forever. Our trust should not be in the permanence of our circumstances, but in the eternal God who guides us through them. We must remain ready, always seeking, always listening, and always prepared to follow where He leads.