EZEKIEL 10-29

It's Sunday!  I cannot wait to see what God is going to do.  It is amazing to be with God's people and to worship God together and learn from His Word.  I love it! I'm in Ezekiel and it takes a long time to read 20 chapters in Ezekiel.  Each verse is long, and many chapters are too.  Every verse could make three verses somewhere else in Scripture.  I think God had a lot for Ezekiel to say to these nations that had forsaken Him.  Ezekiel is a book of judgment.  It is God saying:  "I've had enough!"  Yet, it is also a book of hope.... If you turn, I will receive you!  Here are some thoughts I had today: 1) GOD KNOWS OUR THOUGHTS- Ezekiel 11:5 says:  "... for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them."  God knows every thought that we have, and we need to be mindful to ask forgiveness for every thought that is not right in the sight of God..  As a maturing Christian, it is often not our actions, but our thoughts that are displeasing to God.  Remember our Goal:  2 Corinthians 10:5  "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"  It's not easy, but it is our goal to have every thought be pleasing to our Savior. 2) SHALL IT PROSPER? - Three times in Ezekiel chapter 17, so we read that phrase:  "Shall it prosper?"  God is speaking to a disobedient nation and saying to them, is your disobedience going to prosper in my sight?  The answer is "no!".  Our disobedience never prospers.  But obedience does!  We need to walk with God closely and let Him cause our lives to prosper!  Not our efforts so much, but His working in our lives, is what gets the job done.  Now, it takes both, but our reliance must be on His part, not on ours though we work very hard.  3) SOUGHT FOR A MAN- In Ezekiel 22:30, God says that He sought for a man, but He found none!  How sad.... but the truth remains.... that God is seeking for a man.  He still is!  We can be that man, that woman, that child, that teenager.... yes, we can be that person God is looking for.  Not because of who we are, but because of Who our hearts is looking for... GOD!!  We can be a man whose heart is "after" the heart of God.... today, and everyday!  Why not today let your heart go after the great heart of GOD?  I'm seeking your face today dear LORD.  My heart is seeking out Your Heart.  Love you LORD.... Have a blessed day in the LORD, dear friend.   Pastor Mike Mutchler