August 16 / Every Day God: Reach!

Ezekiel 9:1-11Amplified Bible (AMP)

9 [The Spirit] cried in my ears [in the vision] with a loud voice, saying, Cause those to draw near who have charge over the city [as executioners], every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.

2 And behold, six men came from the direction of the Upper Gate, which faces north, every man with his battle-ax in his hand; and one man among them was clothed in linen, with a writer’s ink bottle at his side. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar.

3 And the glory of the God of Israel [the Shekinah, cloud] had gone up from the cherubim upon which it had rested to [stand above] the threshold of the [Lord’s] house. And [the Lord] called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s ink bottle at his side.

4 And the Lord said to him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in the midst of it.

5 And to the others He said in my hearing, Follow [the man with the ink bottle] through the city and smite; let not your eye spare, neither have any pity.

6 Slay outright the elderly, the young man and the virgin, the infant and the women; but do not touch or go near anyone on whom is the mark. Begin at My sanctuary. So they began with the old men who were in front of the temple [who did not have the Lord’s mark on their foreheads].

7 And He said to [the executioners], Defile the temple and fill its courts with the slain. Go forth! And they went forth and slew in the city.

8 And while they were slaying them and I was left, I fell upon my face and cried, Ah, Lord God! Will You destroy all that is left of Israel in Your pouring out of Your wrath and indignation upon Jerusalem?

9 Then said He to me, The iniquity and guilt of the house of Israel and Judah are exceedingly great; the land is full of blood and the city full of injustice and perverseness; for they say, The Lord has forsaken the land; the Lord does not see [what we are doing].

10 And as for Me, My eye will not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their wicked doings upon their own heads.

11 And behold, the man clothed in linen, who had the ink bottle at his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as You have commanded me.

Ezekiel fell on his face in horror! I have been shocked and horrified at the natural disasters caused by the hand of God! Tsunamis, hurricanes, and tornados, to name a few. 

Ezekiel 11:17-21Amplified Bible (AMP)

17 Therefore say, Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give back to you the land of Israel.

18 And when they return there, they shall take away from it all traces of its detestable things and all its abominations (sex impurities and heathen religious practices).

19 And I will give them one heart [a new heart] and I will put a new spirit within them; and I will take the stony [unnaturally hardened] heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh [sensitive and responsive to the touch of their God],

20 That they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. And they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

21 But as for those whose heart yearns for and goes after their detestable things and their loathsome abominations [associated with idolatry], I will repay their deeds upon their own heads, says the Lord God.

Do you have a hard heart? Have you been living against God's word for a very long time? Years, even? Are you bitter and disallusioned? Well, there's hope for you. Turn to God, and watch your life turn around! If you don't turn to God, watch your life go up in smoke.

Do you know someone like this? Reach out to them in love. Again. Even if you've reached many times and they don't respond. Reach again. God never gives up. Be His reaching out hand to them. As long as there's breath, there's hope.

"Dear Jesus, thank You. For continuing to reach. Thank You for continuing to place people on my heart that You want me to reach for. I am Your willing messenger. As long as I have breath, I will keep on reaching! And I will keep on warning! And I will continue praying! How I love You, Jesus! Reading through Your word is an adventure, and You are my Guide! AMEN."