relationships (Ezekiel 5:1-17) Respect!

(Ezekiel 5:1-17)

“As for you, son of man, take a sharp sword; take and use it as a barber’s razor on your head and beard. Then take scales for weighing and divide the hair. 2 A third you shall burn in the fire at the center of the city, when the days of the siege are completed. Then you shall take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city, and a third you shall scatter to the wind; for I will unsheathe a sword behind them. 3 Take also a few hairs in number from them and bind them in the hems of your robes. 4 Take again some of them and throw them into the fire and burn them in the fire; from it a fire will spread to all the house of Israel.

5 “This is what the Lord God says: ‘This is Jerusalem; I have placed her at the center of the nations, with lands around her. 6 But she has rebelled against My ordinances more wickedly than the nations, and against My statutes more than the lands which surround her; for they have rejected My ordinances and have not walked in My statutes.’ 7 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: ‘Because you have more turmoil than the nations that surround you and have not walked in My statutes, nor executed My ordinances, nor acted in accordance with the ordinances of the nations around you,’ 8 therefore, this is what the Lord God says: ‘Behold, I, even I, am against you, and I will execute judgments among you in the sight of the nations. 9 And because of all your abominations I will do among you what I have not done, and the like of which I will never do again. 10 Therefore, fathers will eat their sons among you, and sons will eat their fathers; for I will execute judgments on you and scatter all your remnant to every wind. 11 Therefore as I live,’ declares the Lord God, ‘Because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and with all your abominations, I definitely will also withdraw and My eye will have no pity, and I also will not spare. 12 A third of you will die by plague or perish by famine among you, a third will fall by the sword around you, and a third I will scatter to every wind, and I will unsheathe a sword behind them.

13 ‘Then My anger will be spent and I will satisfy My wrath on them, and I will be appeased; then they will know that I, the Lord, have spoken in My zeal, when I have spent My wrath upon them. 14 Moreover, I will make you a site of ruins and a disgrace among the nations that surround you, in the sight of everyone who passes by. 15 So it will be a disgrace, an object of abuse, a warning, and an object of horror to the nations that surround you when I execute judgments against you in anger, wrath, and raging reprimands. I, the Lord, have spoken. 16 When I send against them the deadly arrows of famine which were for the destruction of those whom I will send to destroy you, then I will also intensify the famine upon you and break off your provision of bread. 17 I will send on you famine and vicious animals, and they will bereave you of children; plague and bloodshed also will pass through you, and I will bring the sword on you. I, the Lord, have spoken.’”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

The Lord called Abram, and in faith, he chose to trust in the Lord.  Because of Abraham's faithfulness, God made the covenant with him, promising that his descendants would become a great nation.  And through his descendants, all nations would be blessed.

Israel was and has been called to be the missionaries to the world.  God placed their small piece of land at the center of everything, so that as they were obedient to His will and God blessed them, the other nations would see and believe.  But, the Israelites didn't just stray away from the Lord, they outright rebelled.  For anyone who doesn't become a believer, no matter who they are, they will be judged and punished. 

The only way to be obedient in God's will is to become a believer.  The good news is that for anyone who humbly goes to the Lord Jesus to be saved, no matter who they are, their sins will be forgiven and they will have eternal life.  Because of this, believers will be judged and rewarded for their good deeds done with right motives.  

We are all called, but it is up to each person to, in faith, choose to trust in the Lord and embrace having a personal relationship with God, Himself.  Think about it.  When we love someone and have a close relationship with them, we respect them, and we respect what is theirs, and we respect the good things that they are doing.  Well, how much more should we respect the Lord, His house, and His will?!  Especially when the Lord's will is to benefit and bless us and others, as well as glorify God!!!

relationships (Ezekiel 4:1-17) Don't Take For Granted

(Ezekiel 4:1-17)

“Now you, son of man, get yourself a brick, place it before you, and inscribe a city on it—Jerusalem. 2 Then lay siege against it, build a siege wall, pile up an assault ramp, set up camps, and place battering rams against it all around. 3 Then get yourself an iron plate and set it up as an iron wall between yourself and the city, and direct your face toward it so that it is under siege, and besiege it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel.

4 “Then you are to lie down on your left side and put the wrongdoing of the house of Israel on it; you shall bear their wrongdoing for the number of days that you lie on it. 5 For I have assigned you a number of days corresponding to the years of their wrongdoing, 390 days; so you shall bear the wrongdoing of the house of Israel. 6 When you have completed these days, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the wrongdoing of the house of Judah; I have assigned it to you for forty days, a day for each year. 7 Then you shall direct your face toward the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared, and prophesy against it. 8 Now behold, I will put ropes around you so that you cannot turn from your one side to your other until you have completed the days of your siege.

9 “But as for you, take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel and make them into bread for yourself; you shall eat it according to the number of the days that you lie on your side, 390 days. 10 Your food which you eat shall be twenty shekels a day by weight; you shall eat it from time to time. 11 The water you drink shall be a sixth of a hin by measure; you shall drink it from time to time. 12 You shall eat it as a barley cake, having baked it in their sight over human dung.” 13 Then the Lord said, “In this way the sons of Israel will eat their bread unclean among the nations where I will scatter them.” 14 But I said, “Oh, Lord God! Behold, I have never been defiled; for from my youth until now I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by animals, nor has any unclean meat ever entered my mouth!” 15 Then He said to me, “See, I will give you cow’s dung in place of human dung, so that you may prepare your bread over it.” 16 Moreover, He said to me, “Son of man, behold, I am going to break the staff of bread in Jerusalem, and they will eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and drink water by measure and in horror, 17 because bread and water will be scarce; and they will tremble with one another and waste away in their guilt.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

The Lord basically told Ezekiel to do some performance art with a very serious message... like a cautionary tale.  This should get anyone's attention!  This should get people thinking and talking!  If Ezekiel did all of this, it would not have been for kicks.  Most actors would have turned down this gig.  Public exposure perhaps, but a lot of discomfort without pay???!!!  But Ezekiel loved and believed in the Lord, and along with the Lord, he deeply loved and cared about his people, the Israelites!

Art can be a very powerful tool to get people's attention and expose issues.  Add God's truth to it, one should realize that the message is so very relevant to one's life!  But for the message to bring about any change requires people to get out of their own comfort zones.  We need to get out of our own way, and focus on the Lord's way.  If we are not walking on that path, we are going in the wrong direction!

For believers, the beautiful part in all of this is... in our personal relationship with the Lord God (Jesus Christ), we are never alone.  He is always with us:  to guide us, provide for us, protect us, strengthen us, equip us.  Let's never take our relationship with Him for granted.  He desires that we yearn to study and know His words.  He desires that we talk to Him in prayer - for everything!  He desires that we ask Him - for His wisdom, help and strength - in everything and for everything!

relationships (Ezekiel 3:1-27) Willing Hearts

(Ezekiel 3:1-27)  

Then He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll. 3 And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you.” Then I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.

4 Then He said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. 5 For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech or difficult language, but to the house of Israel, 6 nor to many peoples of unintelligible speech or difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. But I have sent you to the people who understand you; 7 yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, since they are not willing to listen to Me. The entire house of Israel certainly is stubborn and obstinate. 8 Behold, I have made your face just as hard as their faces, and your forehead just as hard as their foreheads. 9 Like emery harder than flint I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, since they are a rebellious house.” 10 Moreover, He said to me, “Son of man, take into your heart all My words which I will speak to you and listen closely. 11 Go to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not, ‘This is what the Lord God says.’”

12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me: “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place!” 13 And I heard the sound of the wings of the living beings touching one another and the sound of the wheels beside them, even a great rumbling sound. 14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away; and I went embittered in the rage of my spirit, and the hand of the Lord was strong on me. 15 Then I came to the exiles who lived beside the river Chebar at Tel-abib, and I sat there for seven days where they were living, causing consternation among them.

16 Now at the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 17 “Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. 18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You will certainly die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way so that he may live, that wicked person shall die for wrongdoing, but his blood I will require from your hand. 19 However if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die for wrongdoing, but you have saved yourself. 20 Again, when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and commits sin, and I place an obstacle before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require from your hand. 21 However, if you have warned the righteous person that the righteous is not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall certainly live because he took warning; and you have saved yourself.”

22 Now the hand of the Lord was on me there, and He said to me, “Get up, go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.” 23 So I got up and went out to the plain; and behold, the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory that I saw by the river Chebar, and I fell on my face. 24 But the Spirit entered me and set me up on my feet; and He spoke with me and said to me, “Go, shut yourself inside your house. 25 And as for you, son of man, they will put ropes around you and bind you with them so that you do not go out among them. 26 Moreover, I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be unable to speak and will not be a man who reprimands them, since they are a rebellious house. 27 But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you will say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says:’ The one who hears, let him hear; and the one who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

We can only share the gospel message, we cannot force anyone to hear or believe.  That is not our job.  It is the job of the Holy Spirit to move people, and it's up to each individual person to respond to the Lord, to accept Him, or not.  But as the Lord gives us opportunity and prompts us to share the good news, we should be willing.  And we can know that in those moments, the Lord will give us the courage and the right words to speak.

We are to focus on God and His word, and put it in our hearts, so that we may live out His word.  As we allow, the Holy Spirit will fill us with His love and strength.  And like tanking up or charging up a car, as we keep filling ourselves with scripture and the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit will continue moving us along in God's will.

This will not be because we have to.  It will be because we want to.  Because our relationship with the Lord is based on His love.  Everything that we do in His will, and in His strength and guidance, will be done in His love!  In all of this, we should not be afraid of people or circumstances.  

We can truly rest in God's strength, knowing that He is sovereign... more powerful than all powers put together!  We can truly rest in God's grace, because He is faithful and promises that as a child of God, there isn't anything we can do or not do that will cause us to lose our salvation!  And we can truly rest in His guidance, so that we do not have to worry about the do's and don'ts... it is all about being willing, and just being with the Lord!

relationships (Ezekiel 2:1-10) Desire to Adore

(Ezekiel 2:1-10)  

Then He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” 2 And as He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me. 3 Then He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have revolted against Me to this very day. 4 So I am sending you to those who are impudent and obstinate children, and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says:’  5 As for them, whether they listen or not—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6 And as for you, son of man, you are not to fear them nor fear their words, though thistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions; you are not to fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, since they are a rebellious house. 7 But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious.

8 “Now you, son of man, listen to what I am speaking to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth wide and eat what I am giving you.” 9 Then I looked, and behold, a hand was extended to me; and behold, a scroll was in it. 10 When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and back, and written on it were songs of mourning, sighing, and woe.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

The words that Ezekiel was to tell the Israelites were words of warning.  And they had the choice:  to listen or not to listen, to obey or not to obey.  Ezekiel was also instructed not to fear the people, but continue trusting and fearing the Lord, so that he could accomplish the task that God had given to him.  And given how Ezekiel had just met the Lord in person and fell to his face, there is no way that an unbeliever can stand before God!

As for Ezekiel's meeting with the Lord, the pre-incarnate Jesus was only going to speak to Ezekiel while he was standing before Him.  And the only way that Ezekiel was able to stand before the Lord God, was when the Holy Spirit entered Ezekiel and lifted him to his feet.

The songs of mourning, sighing and woe are not for those who have been saved from God's wrath, but are for those who are still lost and enslaved to sin!  When a person realizes that they are sinners - in need of a Savior - and humbly approaches the Lord for His forgiveness and His salvation, the Holy Spirit enters and seals our souls for eternity!  It is only in this way that we can stand before the Lord!

Being born again, freed from the sting of sin and death, we are then able to sing songs of praise, thankfulness and joy!  Not only can we stand before the Lord, but we can go before Him with confidence, having a close, personal relationship with God, Himself.  Yet - we will still desire to bow before Him, to worship and adore Him, and Him alone.  And in our service to Him, continue to trust, fear and look to His strength and guidance, so that He will help us accomplish the tasks He gives to us.

relationships (Ezekiel 1:1-28) Recognizing and Knowing

(Ezekiel 1:1-28)  

Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. 2 (On the fifth of the month in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile, 3 the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there the hand of the Lord came upon him.)

4 As I looked, behold, a high wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing intermittently and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like gleaming metal in the midst of the fire. 5 And within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form. 6 Each of them had four faces and four wings. 7 Their legs were straight and their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they sparkled like polished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their four sides were human hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, 9 their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward. 10 As for the form of their faces, each had a human face; all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and two covering their bodies. 12 And each went straight forward; wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went. 13 In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire. 14 And the living beings ran back and forth like bolts of lightning.

15 Now as I looked at the living beings, behold, there was one wheel on the ground beside the living beings, for each of the four of them. 16 The appearance of the wheels and their workmanship was like sparkling topaz, and all four of them had the same form, their appearance and workmanship being as if one wheel were within another. 17 Whenever they moved, they moved in any of their four directions without turning as they moved. 18 As for their rims, they were high and awesome, and the rims of all four of them were covered with eyes all around. 19 Whenever the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them. And whenever the living beings rose from the earth, the wheels rose also. 20 Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction. And the wheels rose just as they did; for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels. 21 Whenever those went, they went; and whenever those stopped, they stopped. And whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose just as they did; for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.

22 Now over the heads of the living beings there was something like an expanse, like the awesome gleam of crystal, spread out over their heads. 23 Under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward the other; each one also had two wings covering its body on the one side and on the other. 24 And I also heard the sound of their wings, like the sound of abundant waters as they went, like the voice of the Almighty, a sound of a crowd like the sound of an army camp; whenever they stopped, they let down their wings. 25 And a voice came from above the expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they let down their wings.

26 Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man. 27 Then I noticed from the appearance of His waist and upward something like gleaming metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him. 28 Like the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Ezekiel was able to observe the angels at length in order to try to describe what he saw, but no matter how wonderful or interesting angels might be, the Lord God is far superior.  And when Ezekiel looked upon the Lord, he didn't have much time to observe, because he was quickly falling on his face in reverence.

Nature is amazing all on its own.  Angels are supernatural and at a level above that.  But God is the creator of all these things... so how can one even describe the glory of God?  One day when we see Him, our natural reaction will be to fall on our face.  

And for right now, we have to ask ourselves how much do we worship, honor and cling to the One who loves us so much, He came in flesh to die for our sins in order to make salvation possible?  How much do we look to His glory and strive to live in such a way as to bring Him the glory that He deserves?  

The only way we can bring Him the glory that He deserves is to allow Him to live out His glory in us!  To allow Him to work for us, in us and through us!  And to get to know Him and His will so well, so that we move when and where He moves, all in His strength, wisdom and love, all to His glory.

Just like with the living beings that were described, as believers, we have the Lord's indwelling Holy Spirit of promise, who goes with us wherever we go, and He will never leave us.  And just like the living beings all move together because they listen to and obey the prompting of the Spirit, as believers, when we all listen to and obey the prompting of God's Holy Spirit, we will move in harmony and unity.  

The angels have already made their eternal decisions (one third chose to rebel against God and became demons, the rest chose to serve the Lord), therefore, the angels who follow God will be in perfect obedience already.  For believers right now, until we go to heaven, we must make conscientious decisions to seek out opportunities in which to serve, as well as to study God's words on a daily basis, and then make deliberate choices to obey.  But because Christianity is all about having a personal relationship with the Lord, this all will be much easier to do when we look to the Lord to be our constant source of wisdom, strength and love!  

relationships (Lamentations 5:1-22) Continue Growing Closer

(Lamentations 5:1-22)

1   Remember, Lord, what has come upon us;
     Look, and see our disgrace!
2   Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
     Our houses to foreigners.
3   We have become orphans, without a father;
     Our mothers are like widows.
4   We have to pay for our drinking water,
     Our wood comes to us at a price.
5   Our pursuers are at our necks;
     We are worn out, we are given no rest.
6   We have submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.
7   Our fathers sinned, and are gone;
     It is we who have been burdened with the punishment for their wrongdoings.
8   Slaves rule over us;
     There is no one to rescue us from their hand.
9   We get our bread at the risk of our lives
     Because of the sword in the wilderness.
10 Our skin has become as hot as an oven,
     Because of the ravages of hunger.
11 They violated the women in Zion,
     The virgins in the cities of Judah.
12 Leaders were hung by their hands;
     Elders were not respected.
13 Young men worked at the grinding mill,
     And youths staggered under loads of wood.
14 Elders are absent from the gate,
     Young men from their music.
15 The joy of our hearts has ended;
     Our dancing has been turned into mourning.
16 The crown has fallen from our head;
     Woe to us, for we have sinned!
17 Because of this our heart is faint,
     Because of these things our eyes are dim;
18 Because of Mount Zion which lies desolate,
     Jackals prowl in it.

19 You, Lord, rule forever;
     Your throne is from generation to generation.
20 Why will You forget us forever?
     Why do You abandon us for so long?
21 Restore us to You, Lord, so that we may be restored;
     Renew our days as of old,
22 Unless You have utterly rejected us
     And are exceedingly angry with us.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

We are all born into a sinful state with a legacy and inheritance of destruction and death.  One has to realize that they are a sinner and in need of a Savior.  We also have to see that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only way to get to heaven.  It is when one decides to humbly go to Him for forgiveness and salvation, that we then become a child of God.  It is then that we enter into having a personal relationship with Jesus.

Becoming a believer (a Christian - a Christ-follower) means that we are born again into a new family, with a heavenly Father who's throne is righteous, sovereign and eternal.  As His children, even though we will experience struggles here on earth, our new legacy and inheritance is restoration and eternal life.  If we are not grateful and thankful for all that the Lord has done for us and given to us, then we have to ask ourselves if we have really entered into a personal relationship with the Lord.

Even though we will experience struggles here on earth, our heavenly Father wants to strengthen, guide and help us, but He will not force this on us.  Because He desires a close relationship with each of His children, He wants us to continually go to Him, and continually get to know Him better and better!  So, no matter who we are or where we come from, and no matter what is happening around us or to us, true comfort, peace and joy is only found in this personal relationship with the Lord.

relationships (Lamentations 4:1-22) There is Hope!

(Lamentations 4:1-22)

1   How dark the gold has become,
     How the pure gold has changed!
     The sacred stones are spilled out
     At the corner of every street.
2   The precious sons of Zion,
     Weighed against pure gold,
     How they are regarded as earthenware jars,
     The work of a potter’s hands!
3   Even jackals offer the breast,
     They nurse their young;
     But the daughter of my people has proved herself cruel,
     Like ostriches in the wilderness.
4   The tongue of the infant clings
     To the roof of its mouth because of thirst;
     The children ask for bread,
     But no one breaks it for them.
5   Those who used to eat delicacies
     Are made to tremble in the streets;
     Those who were raised in crimson clothing
     Embrace garbage heaps.
6   For the wrongdoing of the daughter of my people 
     Is greater than the sin of Sodom,
     Which was overthrown as in a moment,
     And no hands were turned toward her.
7   Her consecrated ones were purer than snow,
     They shined more than milk;
     They were more ruddy in body than pearls of coral,
     Their form was like lapis lazuli.
8   Their appearance is darker than soot,
     They are not recognized in the streets;
     Their skin is shriveled on their bones,
     It is dry, it has become like wood.
9   Better off are those killed by the sword
     Than those killed by hunger;
     For they waste away, stricken
     By the lack of the produce of the field.
10 The hands of compassionate women
     Boiled their own children;
     They became food for them
     Due to the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 The Lord has expended His wrath,
     He has poured out His fierce anger;
     And He has kindled a fire in Zion,
     And it has consumed its foundations.
12 The kings of the earth did not believe,
     Nor did any of the inhabitants of the world,
     That the adversary and the enemy
     Would enter the gates of Jerusalem.
13 Because of the sins of her prophets 
     And the wrongdoings of her priests,
     Who have shed in her midst 
     The blood of the righteous,
14 They wandered, blind, in the streets;
     They were defiled with blood,
     Such that no one could touch their garments.
15 “Keep away! Unclean!” they cried out of themselves.
     “Keep away, keep away, do not touch!”
     For they distanced themselves as well as wandered;
     People among the nations said,
     “They shall not continue to reside with us.”
16 The presence of the Lord has scattered them,
     He will not continue to look at them;
     They did not honor the priests,
     They did not favor the elders.
17 Yet our eyes failed,
     Looking for help was useless;
     At our observation point we have watched
     For a nation that could not save.
18 They hunted our steps
     So that we could not walk in our streets;
     Our end drew near,
     Our days were finished
     For our end had come.
19 Our pursuers were swifter
     Than the eagles of the sky;
     They chased us on the mountains,
     They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness.
20 The breath of our nostrils, the Lord’s anointed,
     Was captured in their pits,
     Of whom we had said, “In his shadow
     We shall live among the nations.”
21 Rejoice and be joyful, daughter of Edom,
     Who lives in the land of Uz;
     But the cup will pass to you as well,
     You will become drunk and expose yourself.
22 The punishment of your wrongdoing has been completed, daughter of Zion;
     He will no longer exile you.
     But He will punish your wrongdoing, daughter of Edom;
     He will expose your sins!

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

If a person's sins are not forgiven, they will be judged for every bad deed.  There is no escaping that!  People think they can hide their sins in the dark, but God is Light, so sins are exposed in His presence.  God is everywhere and sees everything, and hates sin.  Because He is holy, He cannot have a relationship with sin.

The good news is: when anyone goes to the Lord and accepts His salvation and forgiveness of sins, their sins are all completely washed away.  He then chooses to remember our sins no more, and sees us as white as snow.  Only the Lord can consecrate us, which means to make holy, and to permanently dedicate us to a higher purpose, which is not to live in sin, but to live in the righteousness of Jesus, which is to enjoy a personal relationship with God, Himself, for now and all eternity.