Purpose Of Wrath

Focus verses: Ezekiel 24:1-14

It seems that we have been forever in the litany of Israel's sins and God's retribution. Today, however, He talks about the pot.

This pot is a cooking utensil. You eat the things that cook in it. And when those things are all gone, the pot is to be set on the fire until it glows. Until the impurities left in it are burned away.

The fire represents the wrath of God. It will burn hotter and hotter toward the unfaithful nation until all the dross and impurities are burned away. Then His wrath will cool, and He will restore to them their inheritance. They will not be clean again until His wrath against them has subsided.

And His wrath will not subside until they are clean again. The two events are mutually dependent.

I wonder how much longer we can endure this smelting of the wrath of God. This word is for us as well as for the Jerusalem of old. Let us lean into the fire, until we glow as the impurities are melted away from us.

Father, God,

In Your holy wrath, we submit ourselves to Your fire. Help us to be purified as a nation. Pour out Your wrath until we are again clean and worthy to be called Your children.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

False Prophets

Focus verses: Ezekiel 13:1-16

Being a prophet is a fearful thing. One must be very careful to speak only what the Lord has spoken or shown in a vision.

When a prophet has had some little success in this, it is easy to be drawn away into wishful thinking and create visions of his own. But there is a dire consequence for this.

The Lord's hand is against all false prophets. They will be cut off from the house of Israel (and by extension from the grafted in gentiles of the church). Their names will not be listed in the records of the house of Israel. The Lord will send a violent storm to destroy the false prophecies and the false prophets.

The Lord's wrath will fall hard upon the false prophet. So if you have the gift of prophecy, you need to be very sure that the words of your mouth are coming from Him and not from your own wishful thinking.

Father, God,

Grant us discernment in the cacophony of life to hear Your voice clearly at all times. Speak to us with love and direction. We will listen, obey, and teach only Your words.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

God Of Wrath

Focus verses: Isaiah 65:11-16

In today's world we talk about a God of love. And God is that. He surely is love. But He is also a God of wrath.

As you read these verses, you can't help feeling sorry for those who forsake the Lord. And it seems a terribly harsh ending.

Look at it carefully, however. God gave man a free will. Man can choose whether he wants God as a part of his life or not. If he chooses to have God in his life, God will honor that. As man repents his wrongdoings, God is merciful and loving and swift to forgive. Like a doting parent, He spoils us and gives us what we want.

The people to whom God is speaking here are those who decided they wanted no part of God in their lives. And again, like a doting parent, God is letting them have their own way. He will not inflict Himself on them in life. Nor will He presume the keep them in His presence after death.

There are only two places to live in this universe. One is in the presence of God and the other is away from God. One is heaven, the other is hell. We choose. And God honors our choice because he gave man a free will.

If we choose to live in the presence of God, we can have a piece of heaven on earth. If we choose the other, well....

Father, God,

Help us to choose wisely. Keep us ever mindful of Your presence and Your will. Grant that we may be ever obedient to Your promptings and swift to obey. Deliver us from waywardness.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

The Day Of The Lord Is Coming

Focus verses: Isaiah 13:9-16

As a Christian, I look forward to the day when the Lord comes again. I anticipate a day of glory and rejoicing.

Isaiah's picture of the day of the Lord is quite different. He sees it as a day of wrath and fierce anger, a day when the land will be desolated and destroyed. All of nature will be out of sync.

The Lord will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their sins. Do we live in a wicked and sinful world?

He will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and humble the pride of the ruthless. Are there proud and ruthless people in our world?

Is he talking about the judgment against Babylon? Or could he mean a judgment against us as well?

The words of God have eternal meaning. His truth is forever. His righteousness is not just for a season. It's eternal. If, as a nation, we behave like Babylon, we will share Babylon's judgment.

Father, God,

Help us to pray for our country as we should. Strengthen us to speak out against injustice and unrighteousness. Grant that we may make a difference in this world to bring it to You.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

God's Wrath Is Real

Focus verses: Isaiah 34:1-4

Today's readings describe the wrath of God in judgment against the nations.

We sometimes forget that God is not only loving, but He can also be wrathful. We have been sold a gospel of "God is love" without the concomitant teaching that He is also righteous and will not abide unrighteousness.

When we see only one side of God, we have a skewed vision. We think we know God because we know that one facet of His character. We are wrong.

God is infinite. We are finite. There is no way we will ever wrap our finite little minds around the entirety of an Infinite God. But that is no excuse for not learning all we can know of Him.

God is loving. God is righteous. God is wrathful. And He is so much more as well. Our only hope is to continue to study the scriptures to absorb as much about Him as our minds will hold.

Father, God,

Help us to see you as the multidimensional God You are. Grant us the wisdom to seek to learn more and more of You and Your precepts.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Eternal Security

Focus verses: Psalm 123

When we think of help coming from a foreign source, we need to think of the Lord first. He is the one who's power is sufficient for all things.

Who can stand against the wrath of the Lord? Which of my enemies can best the Lord?

What more could we want than to have the creator of the universe on our side? His vigilance is eternal. He's never away from the desk or phone. His help for us is as near as our next breath.

He won't let us fall. He won't even let our foot slip. Nothing in nature can harm us. Nothing man can do will hurt us. For God Himself is our savior.

He watches our every move, to keep us secure in all things - at all times. His vigilance for us is unceasing and eternal. Our lives are secure in Him.

So why should we worry about anything. After all, worry is praying to the wrong god.

Father, God,

Thank You for the reassurance that You are concerned with our lives, our comings and goings, and our petty affairs. Thank You for keeping us safe in You.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.