Dressing Room Trick

This post has ABSOLUTELY no spiritual content whatsoever. But I have experienced such liberation and happiness in the discovery I'm about to share with women that it does, in fact, approach biblical proportions.

In the past few trips to the store for blue jeans, bras or bathing suits (the terrible trifecta, in my opinion), I have discovered a little trick that has completely transformed my self-image and ability to objectively decide on a purchase. Drum roll, please.

When trying on a potential clothing item, I turn away from the mirror in the dressing room until I am completely ready to "present". In other words, I don't look at myself in the mirror until I will see what others will see. In so doing I bypass the unflattering contortions it takes to get into said garments as well as gazing upon the less than perfect body parts that no one but me sees anyway.

Sometimes, when the dressing room has multiple mirrors (who is that good for anyway!), I have to close my eyes to accomplish this little feat of self-deception, but it's totally worth it. And I'm telling you, it has been nothing short of transformational in my shopping experience. No more self-loathing. No more berating myself for not strengthening and toning my core. Just deciding if I'm going to love wearing what I'm trying on or not. Bliss.

I thought about keeping this secret to myself, but I just couldn't. I shared it with my mom recently when we were shopping and she agreed. There were no tears from either of us that day. So keep it to yourself or share it with your sisters and friends. I'm walking into the clothing department of my choice with my head held high this summer, and I hope you will too.

Consequences

Consequences. It’s a word used in parental discipline and every kid knows that it’s not usually associated with a reward. There was a game show on television in the 1950’s and 60’s called Truth or Consequences, where contestants had to answer an obscure or very difficult trivia question in just a few seconds. If they couldn’t (and most didn’t) there was an embarrassing stunt awaiting them for their failure. Over the course of the show, contestants would often answer the question incorrectly on purpose to go directly to the “consequence”. That’s good television.

But despite the fact that a rather popular and long-running radio and TV show displayed the more humorous side of things, real life paints a different picture. Consequences are the natural relation between cause and effect. A logical conclusion. And usually with a negative connotation.

In the spiritual sphere, the reward for obedience is being nearer to God. No barriers. No guilt. No personal agenda. And the consequence for disobedience – even if we’re not punished, per se – is distance from God, whether or not there is an actual punishment or consequence directly related to the disobedient act. For example, if despite God’s command to the contrary, I hoard my money and give nothing to my church or the poor, I may not go broke. God may allow me to keep my money and my house and always put food on the table. He may. But even in that scenario, there will most likely be a limit to the depth of relationship and communication that I experience with Him, if I even try to pursue that relationship at all. God may let me keep and pursue exactly what my heart desires, whatever that may be: money, reputation, being thin, the perfect house, a business. But if it’s not what His heart desires, meeting our goals will not fulfill us in the way we hoped. There’s a song from the Broadway musical Wicked that underscores this concept. It’s called “Thank Goodness”. See if this resonates with you at all.

That's why I couldn't be happier

No, I couldn't be happier

Though it is, I admit

The tiniest bit

Unlike I anticipated

But I couldn't be happier

Simply couldn't be happier

(spoken) Well - not "simply":

(sung) 'Cause getting your dreams

It's strange, but it seems

A little - well - complicated

There's a kind of a sort of : cost

There's a couple of things get: lost

There are bridges you cross

You didn't know you crossed

Until you've crossed

And if that joy, that thrill

Doesn't thrill you like you think it will

Still -

With this perfect finale

The cheers and ballyhoo

Who wouldn't be happier?

So I couldn't be happier

Because happy is what happens

When all your dreams come true

Well, isn't it?

Happy is what happens

When your dreams come true!

There’s a biblical example of this concept in the book of Ezekiel, minus the cheers and the ballyhoo. The prophet is taken up to a hill overlooking Jerusalem, in a vision, 14 years after the city and the temple have been destroyed by the Babylonians. In that vision, the temple is restored and Ezekiel is shown detailed plans of what the new temple will look like. He’s also given instructions for the Israelites in captivity, including the priests, for how they are to return to God when the time is right. There seem to be two distinct groups of priests addressed – those who chased after idols and led the people astray, and those who faithfully carried out the duties of the sanctuary. Here’s what Ezekiel is told will be in store for each:

¹⁰ " 'The Levites who went far from me when Israel went astray and who wandered from me after their idols must bear the consequences of their sin. ¹¹ They may serve in my sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and serving in it; they may slaughter the burnt offerings and sacrifices for the people and stand before the people and serve them. ¹² But because they served them in the presence of their idols and made the house of Israel fall into sin, therefore I have sworn with uplifted hand that they must bear the consequences of their sin, declares the Sovereign LORD. ¹³ They are not to come near to serve me as priests or come near any of my holy things or my most holy offerings; they must bear the shame of their detestable practices. ¹⁴ Yet I will put them in charge of the duties of the temple and all the work that is to be done in it.

¹⁵ " 'But the priests, who are Levites and descendants of Zadok and who faithfully carried out the duties of my sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from me, are to come near to minister before me; they are to stand before me to offer sacrifices of fat and blood, declares the Sovereign LORD. ¹⁶ They alone are to enter my sanctuary; they alone are to come near my table to minister before me and perform my service.’ ” (Ezekiel 44:10-16)

The consequences to that first group of priests is devastating, yet demonstrates God’s mercy and ultimate desire to restore His people and have them near Him. They are forbidden to come into God’s holy presence in the holiest part of the sanctuary, but they are allowed to tend the gates – the outer limits of God’s court – and to serve the people by slaughtering their sacrifices – the dirty work of cleaning up the mess of sin. They are allowed to come near. Sort of. But only on the periphery, not the inner sanctum, where they can see and experience God’s glory. Their disobedience and longing for something other than the God who called them has brought them separation from Him. They have achieved their hearts’ desires, but it wasn’t God. So sad.

And the priests who were faithful to carry out the duties of the sanctuary are to come near to minister, stand before God, and perform His service. They are called to come near to God. Really near. Their faithfulness in pursuing God and remaining faithful to their calling and His priorities have gained them unlimited access to their Portion. They get to deal with the blood and the fat of the sacrifices – the life and the abundance. Their reward is to be near to the One who called them.

Neither group of priests got any land or monetary reward for being a Levite. Whether they were faithful or not, Levites got no land. God was meant to be their reward. That’s why it’s so sad that some of them chased after other things – they got neither. But the Levites whose hearts chased after God and His values got Him. And that’s all they needed.

Which camp do you fall into? Are there choices in your life that are keeping you from fully pursuing God and His desires for your life? Or are you completely committed to following God and giving attention to everything He tells you? (Ezekiel 44:5) If being near to God is all that you’re promised for pursuing Him, is it enough?

The Bible is full of examples of people who were 100% obedient to God’s calling and not only didn’t receive creature comforts as reward, they often received beatings, poverty, death of loved ones and social rejection. So what was their reward? Look at what Ezekiel got to experience:

“I looked and saw the glory of the LORD filling the temple of the LORD, and I fell facedown.” (Ezekiel 44:4)

The more our hearts race when reading and contemplating passages like this, the more we’re on the right track to experiencing the connection we were created for. He is enough! And nothing compares to knowing Him and hearing His voice. Nothing.

Sovereign Lord, be my everything. Align my heart and my priorities with yours. Reveal and remove the idols that cause me to experience the consequence of distance from you. Amen.

• Read Psalm 119:57-64. Take some time to pray through it and ask God to reveal anything in your life that stands in the way of these verses being true for you.

• What practical steps do you have in place to gauge your goals in light of God’s calling in your life? If you lack these, what needs to change?

Worship For All Seasons

Which do you think was harder for Noah - being in the ark while the rain fell from the sky and came up from the ground flooding the earth for 40 days, or waiting in that same ark for a year while the sun was shining and the ground was drying? It's a tough call.

Living in the Seattle area, I know what it's like to experience grey skies and precipitation for weeks at a time. No fun. Especially when it's supposed to be feeling like summer and the rest of the country is experiencing weather that's different from what they had in November. Ours is pretty much the same. Waiting in a huge boat for months and months with odiferous creatures and undoubtedly crabby family members probably wasn't much better. But the way I see it, at least they had blue sky to look at.

In our lives, just like in Noah's, waiting and wondering are part of God's action plan. Even though we feel idle, God is moving. With Noah, water levels were receding. Plants were coming back to life. Character was being refined. Relationships built. We're not so different. Grey skies or blue, we get to choose our attitude toward the God who is in the process of sanctifying us. He is the God who has called us out of darkness and into light. (1 Peter 2:9) He makes the skies grey or blue for His glory. And He never changes. So my only response is to worship Him because He is God. Whether I'm waiting or working or whiling away the hours gazing out the window, who God is and what He has done make Him worthy of my worshipful response. What I do is far less important than who He is. And that perspective helps me weather the rain. And the waiting. Because all of my life, in every season, He is still God. And I have a reason to sing. I have a reason to worship.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QemZQKKJbRU

Training

Yesterday I saw a woman at the gym who I'll call Mary, because, like Mary Poppins, she appeared to be practically perfect in every way. Gorgeous, long, dark hair, toned body, and dressed to impress, Mary was executing moves I'd never seen, and seemingly without effort. I couldn't take my eyes off her as I huffed and puffed on the elliptical machine nearby in my Target pants and ratty pink T-shirt from an event I attended a couple of years ago, my middle-aged body straining not to lose ground against the ever-increasing pace of aging.

Ironically, it got me thinking about Heaven. Not because Mary looks like she's already gotten her resurrection body, but because of something I hear Christians say a lot. They say that this life is training for us to get ready for Heaven. Have you heard that? Here's my problem with that theory: if we have eternity to be with Jesus and worship Him, won't that be enough time to get to be good at the things Heaven requires? If after a million years, we don't have one second less to spend there, I'm pretty sure I'll get to know the songs we'll be singing. I might even pick up the harmony on a few.

On the other hand, what if our time here is to encourage each other toward right living and joy so that other people can see it and the population of Heaven will increase? What if this life's purpose is to learn to enjoy God so fully that other people won't be able to resist asking us about Him and learning about Him themselves? Not to mention the fact that this life is all we can comprehend currently. I'm thinking that this week is probably spiritual training for me just to get through next week, Amen?!

So as much as I believe Scripture points to the fact that the best of this world pales in comparison to what we'll experience for eternity, I can't get my head around the fact that I might not be ready for it so I need training here. I'm pretty sure I'll recognize Jesus when I get there. I've already been talking to Him and learning about Him for a while. And I'm pretty sure the rest will work itself out. But if I can learn more fully how to enjoy Him now, and that influences others in my life to pursue Him and give Him glory, whether they already know Him or not, that's reward enough for me right now. I'll figure the rest out when I meet Him face to face.

Refreshing the Heart

Phil was a leader of a large organization in Turkey. He and his wife Abby followed Christ, and groups of other Christians frequently met in his home. He had an employee named Owen, who had recently stolen some money and fled. Phil and Abby were upset for many reasons, not the least of which was the fact that Owen had run off to Rome to help a friend of Phil’s with a project he was working on.

While in Rome with Paul, Owen heard, understood, and accepted for himself the message of the gospel of Christ. He and Paul built a deep friendship and Paul came to rely heavily on Owen for help as well as companionship.

After a season, Paul felt compelled to write to Phil, telling him that his runaway employee had come to Rome and was living with Paul. Along with the update was an appeal for Phil to forgive Owen and restore him to his former position. Paul was sending Owen back to Phil and Paul was going to take care of any compensation for whatever Owen had stolen from him. His reasoning? He’s more than just an employee now; he’s our brother.

Now you’re caught up on the background story of the New Testament book of Philemon. That’s where this week’s passage lives. The short letter bears reading over and over as it is rich with relationship issues, reconciliation guidelines, and more. Paul was in prison in Rome when he wrote this letter to his friend Philemon and his wife, Apphia concerning a runaway slave, Onesimus, who was with Paul and had recently responded to the gospel. I strongly encourage you to read the whole letter – all 25 verses. It’ll take you all of five minutes.

As in so much of Paul’s writing, he expresses his heartfelt connection to fellow believers he’s met in the course of his travels and ministry. I’d like to spend a little time with the following verses:

⁴I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, ⁵because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. ⁶I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. ⁷Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints. (Philemon 4-7)

Since we started with the interpretation of the text in our fictional account of Phil and Abby, let’s look at some observations that will take us directly to personal application of the concepts in the passage. When reading the preceding verses, I quickly came up with several questions that not only related to the individuals in this situation, but to my life as well. See if any of these resonate with you.

1. Who am I thanking God for? Paul is thanking God for Philemon and his wife. There are people in my life who have encouraged me, blessed me, loved me well, and sacrificed for me. Do I live in gratitude for the quality of relationships God has put in my life? And do I thank Him for those people?

2. For whom am I praying on a regular, passionate basis? Verse 3 implies that thanking God for Philemon and lifting him up in intercessory prayer is commonplace for Paul. Am I listening for the Holy Spirit to prompt me in praying for those I love? Am I even asking Him to? Sadly, too often the answer is no.

3. Who is hearing about or seeing my faith in Christ and my love for others? Paul writes that he is thankful for Philemon because he hears about his love and faith. Philemon’s reputation had gotten to Paul in a Roman prison. And it was all good. What do people see in my life? Am I loving others well? Is my faith evident? Or would observers of my life be surprised to learn of my faith because there’s so little evidence of it?

4. To whom has my love given great joy and encouragement? Am I purposeful in blessing others? A reality check may be in order on either end of the spectrum. Some days I’m convinced no one would care whether or not I was around. Other days, I’m just as certain that the world can’t do without me. Reality is somewhere in the middle and hearing the truth from God does much to bring my perspective in alignment with His.

5. Who gives me joy and encouragement? I love that Paul is letting Philemon know that their friendship and ministry together has been uplifting to him. It encourages me to be aware of those who spur me on and to let them know the impact they have on my life.

6. With whom am I sharing my faith? Paul sees and has lived with the benefits that come with actively telling his faith story. Now he prays for Philemon to have the same boldness. This is the clearest place in Scripture for motivating us to talk to others about what God means to us and is doing in our lives. Just like the best way to learn something is to teach it to someone else, so by sharing the gospel message and its implications with those around us are we made more aware of the doctrine that is the foundation of our faith.

7. Who needs prayer to share their faith more boldly? For some, talking about Jesus is as natural as breathing. Others need a little push. But all are called to give a testimony about what Christ’s death and resurrection mean to them. Why not ask God to give opportunity and eloquence to His more reluctant children?

8. Do I have a full understanding of every great thing I have in Christ? By sharing our faith with others we come to understand more deeply all the good things we have in Christ, according to verse 6 of this passage. The first two chapters of Ephesians is a good place to look for a list of all that God has taken the initiative to do in our lives. Here is a direct correlation between sharing our faith and understanding it. With understanding comes a deeper appreciation. Worship and gratitude follow.

9. Who has refreshed my heart? There are people who are effortless to be with. They are not focused on themselves and they actively engage in conversation by listening and sharing what is real. These people refresh my heart. They help me see God’s activity in their lives and they encourage me to look for Him in mine.

10. Whose heart have I refreshed lately? Do I make it a point to bless others just because? Do I know someone who is blue and needs an outing? Is there a special treat or a kind word that would bring fresh air and life into someone’s day? As I am refreshed, I hope to refresh others.

Paul’s letter to Philemon serves not only to outline practical steps toward reconciliation, but it also highlights some of the more poignant relationship characteristics that Christians can share. Intercessory prayer. Purposeful encouragement. Joy in sharing a common bond of Christian doctrine. Things that knit our hearts together as we grow in our faith in Jesus. My prayer is that God would open our eyes to the blessings of relationships in our lives and that He would grow us into followers who refresh the hearts of others and demonstrate His love to the world.

• Read all of Paul’s letter to Philemon and list any other questions you think of relating to the text.

• Read Ephesians 1 and 2 and list all the heavenly blessings we have in Christ.

• Ask God who He would have you intercede for or encourage this week.

Holiday Angst

So I was thinking today about why I'm so rarely disappointed on my birthday, but Mother's Day bit me in the butt.

Here's what I've come up with: Mother's Day is about what you do, birthdays are about who you are.

Not everyone gets celebrated on Mother's Day. Fathers don't. They have their own day. Kids don't. Just women who have kids. They had to do something to get their prize. So the festivities on that day (if there are any) are about recognizing the sacrifices and tender gestures that mothers offer their progeny. It may be nothing more than the fact that this is the woman who taught us to tie our shoes, make chocolate chip cookies, or offer to take people's coats at the door. It may be as profound as being the woman who walked you through a traumatic life season or defended you when you were betrayed. The nature of motherhood runs the gamut, but the day recognizes the efforts and accomplishments of those women who have reproduced.

Birthdays, on the other hand, simply celebrate the fact that you are. Congratulations! You were born! Everyone gets that. No expectations to live up to in order to merit a card or a party. No requirements of productivity. Wit, intelligence, physical prowess, and skill are superfluous. You get a birthday just because you're breathing. Nicely done.

How does God love us - for what we do or for who we are? Yep. Birthdays. We came into this world so He loves us. Period. I can jump up and down and spit nickels, or do a back flip 360, but it won't impress Him. I'm His and that's all it takes for Him to attach His affection to me. He made me and even though many days He may not be impressed with my accomplishments, He loves me. Oh, how He loves me.

Sigh. I can't wait til it's my birthday.

Post Mother's Day Meltdown

I think I’m suffering a bit of a post-Mother’s Day meltdown.

I try really hard not to have any expectations. That way I won’t be disappointed. After all, aren’t these holidays created by the greeting card companies to urge us toward sentimentality that will also create a profit for them? Perhaps the premise is less cynical than that, but I’m not. I am fundamentally opposed to a specified day for expressing emotions and gratitude that would mean so much more if they were spontaneous. But maybe it’s precisely because these sentiments aren’t expressed regularly in relationships that Hallmark felt compelled to give us an opportunity each year.

Here’s my personal dilemma: When I’m not lavished with words of affirmation or a gift or a card or flowers on one of these particular days, I immediately think that I’m not worth the effort. If there was something good to say about me, a gesture to be made, my loved ones would certainly take advantage of the opportunity, right? Apparently there’s no prize for average.

And because my husband and I wanted more children but were unable to have them, each year on Mother’s Day I feel a little like a phony. Real moms have lots of arms around them, I say to myself. They’re busy with important tasks that make the lives of their children lovely. They’re tired, but happy. Overwhelmed in good ways and bad because of all the people they bless in the course of a day. They deserve recognition and breakfast in bed. I only have one kid, and he’s the easiest kid in the world to parent.

I’m not a pumpkin-carving, egg-dying, craft-making mom. I’m also not a busy career woman who serves her family lovingly even though she’s been working hard all day earning a living. I cook dinner a few times a week, do the laundry and take my only child where he needs to go. In between I do some Bible studies. What’s to celebrate, after all? Would life really be all that different if I didn’t do these things?

I have a good life and I am grateful. My husband earns enough so I don’t have to take just any job and I can figure out what I’m going to do with my life. My son is well-behaved, bright, funny, and polite. Why am I so disappointed that no one recognizes my mediocrity? It’s a funny paradox, isn’t it? And even though I go back to the fact that God made me and loves me for who I am, I can’t help but think sometimes that He might be disappointed in me too.

So today I will make the beds extra smooth with freshly laundered sheets. And beef is what’s for dinner in our house tonight. And I will wait for some loving words from my Heavenly Father saying, “well done” in some area of my life that will make it all worthwhile.

Grace

Many of you have already heard me tell this story, but it has lingered with me long enough to actually write it down.

So we're having dinner the other night and my husband announces that if certain academic criteria are not met by June, our 13-year-old will no longer get his allowance. Ever. So let it be written. So let it be done.

I couldn't help but notice my son crying into his spaghetti so I asked if he had some feelings he wanted to share. (I'm sensitive that way.) He explained, through his tears, that it doesn't seem fair to him that he should be punished for something that he might not have any control over. If he does his best, shouldn't that be enough?

Of course your best is enough, I reply. And if you do your best between now and the end of the year, this might not even be an issue. Here's the thing: your dad gives you an allowance not because you earn it or deserve it, but because he wants to and he can. Since you didn't do anything to deserve it, you can't really be mad when he takes it away. It's his to decide when to give it and when to withhold it.

As the words are coming out of my mouth I realize that I'm describing a crucial and fundamental tenet of the Christian faith - grace. God blesses us because He chooses to. Not because we have done anything to deserve it. When bad things happen - tragedy, financial difficulties, illness, relational stress - He not only doesn't owe us a happy ending; He doesn't even owe us an explanation!

We are not entitled to God's favor, no matter how holy we think we are. No matter how many times we've read through the Bible in a year. No matter how much money we give away or how many shifts we volunteer at the local shelter. Grace is goodness even though we don't deserve it.

Thank you, Father, for your grace. For the many blessings I enjoy that I did nothing to deserve. You are so good to me. May I respond with a life that gives you glory. Amen.

Worship and Repent

Occasionally in conversations about the Bible I hear people talk about their difficulty in understanding or accepting what they refer to as “the God of the Old Testament”, as if He is a separate entity from the God Jesus revealed or the One who speaks to us today. I’m not sure if it would be easier to fashion a god of my own dimensions and preferences or if it would be more difficult because of the constant revisions I’d have to make as this god evolved to meet my needs. It’s harder, but simpler, to look at the whole context of Scripture and adjust my understanding of who God is and has always been.

These are a couple of verses that I refer to when this difficulty arises:

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

"I the LORD do not change.” (Malachi 3:6)

The God who created the universe is the same God who commanded warriors of the Old Testament to kill and pillage. That God is the same God who sacrificed His only Son to pay the price for our sin and make a way to have relationship with Him. And He is the same God whose Spirit heals and speaks to us today. I don’t get it all, but I know I need to reconcile the parts that don’t sound logical or practical or easy. And when there seems to be a discrepancy between how God appears in Scripture and how I’d like Him to be, I’m the one who has to adjust.

One example is this passage from Ezekiel. Ezekiel was called by God to declare His message of punishment and restoration through the Babylonian exile. Ezekiel was in Babylon when God spoke to him, having been taken there in 597 B.C., during the second wave of Jews to be exiled by King Nebuchadnezzar. (The first wave was in 605 B.C. Jerusalem finally fell to the Babylonians and was destroyed in 587/586 B.C.) Some prophets had been telling the people that God wasn’t really angry and that their troubled times would end soon. God had a much different and more severe message to pass along through Ezekiel. He lists several of their detestable sins very specifically in the following verses:

¹ Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. ² Then the word of the LORD came to me: ³ "Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? ⁴ Therefore speak to them and tell them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When any Israelite sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face and then goes to a prophet, I the LORD will answer him myself in keeping with his great idolatry. ⁵ I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.'

⁶ "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!

⁷ " 'When any Israelite or any alien living in Israel separates himself from me and sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face and then goes to a prophet to inquire of me, I the LORD will answer him myself. ⁸ I will set my face against that man and make him an example and a byword. I will cut him off from my people. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

⁹ " 'And if the prophet is enticed to utter a prophecy, I the LORD have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. ¹⁰ They will bear their guilt—the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him. ¹¹ Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign LORD.' " (Ezekiel 14:1-11)

Several phrases are repeated and seem to be quite important in these verses.

1. Idols and stumbling blocks – The French translation of this verse says that these people carry their idols in their hearts and fix their gaze on things that will make them fall in sin. The Message says, “these people have installed idols in their hearts. They have embraced the wickedness that will ruin them”. It seems to me God is revealing to Ezekiel that the people who want to hear from God are hanging on to sinful desires inside and sinful behaviors outside. No wonder God is indignant with them!

2. Sovereign LORD – This exact phrase is used over and over in the book of Ezekiel. It is the name by which God identifies Himself throughout the visions and prophecies revealed to the prophet. And it is always accompanied by “declares” or “says”. When God speaks His message to Ezekiel, He wants to be sure Ezekiel knows that the plan will come to pass because God is sovereign. His purposes will be realized and He is in control.

3. Know that He is the LORD – “Then they will know that I am the LORD” appears no fewer than 17 times in chapters 5 through 14 of Ezekiel. God’s desire above all else is to be known and glorified. He used blessings, direct communication and destructive consequences to make sure the Jews of the Old Testament knew, without a doubt, that He was who He said He was.

So, if God is the same now as He was in the Old Testament, then what’s true of God in this passage must still be true today, right? Is it safe to say that God still wants us to remove sinful attitudes from our hearts and behaviors from our lives? I think yes. Is it logical to assume that He is still sovereign and in control of His creation? Again, yes. And can we believe that God still wants – no, insists upon – receiving glory for who He is? Resoundingly affirmative.

Then what is my response?

First I’d better recognize God and praise Him for His power and glory! Secondly, anything in my heart or actions that isn’t aligned with God’s purposes and character has got to go. And this cycle continues over and over and over until we meet Him face to face. Worship and repent. Worship and repent.

Lest we think there is only doom and gloom in God’s desires for His people, or that He is only concerned with killing all the fun in our lives, let’s remember His heart for relationship found in the final verse of this passage:

“Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign LORD.' " (Ezekiel 14:11)

Relationship.

Connection.

Belonging.

And God’s desires for those haven’t changed either. Thanks be to God.

• What other themes or commands do you notice in this passage? Does one or more resonate with you? Which one(s)?

• Are you aware of any idols in your heart or stumbling blocks before your face? In other words, has God revealed any areas of your life – thoughts, attitudes, behaviors – that do not lead you closer to Him? Take some time to pray about that and confess and repent where He convicts you.

• Why does holiness even matter to God?

• Is it ever difficult for you to acknowledge or rest in God’s sovereignty? What other places in Scripture might you look for more revelation of this aspect of God’s character?