God's city

Today: Ezekiel 46-48

"You're the God of this city. You're the king of these people. You're the Lord of this nation. You are." If you've ever heard Chris Tomlin's "God of This City," these lyrics may sound familiar.

But have you ever thought about what it would be like...what it would really be like...if God was the God of your city?

In today's passage, God continues to give the prophet Ezekiel a vision of His city. As you read it, keep in mind that this vision took place at a time when God's people were far from Him--and while they were in exile in other countries. At the end of today's chapters, here are the words that stood out to me:

"From now on the name of the city will be Yahweh-Shammah:
"God-Is-There."

Can you imagine what Ezekiel felt in that moment?

God showed Him a picture of a beautiful, restored city--while the real city was abandoned and in ruins.

Here are a few of the things I thought about when I read today's chapters:

• God had a vision for the city beyond its current state--He saw potential.
  
• Today, there are a lot of Christians who pray for their cities, but how many have asked God to give them a vision for their cities? Even beyond that--how many Christians have taken action to make a positive difference in their communities?
  

Real, lasting change starts with vision--and a vision that leads to action.

Tomorrow: Daniel 1-3

Standing in the gap

Today: Ezekiel 21-22

I'm rediscovering that Ezekiel is a tragic book in the Bible. In much of today's passage, God talked to (and through) Ezekiel about the wickedness of His people. They deserted Him and his ways for all kinds of sin. At the end of this passage, I found this excerpt of God's Word to Ezekiel particularly sad:

"I looked for someone

to stand up for me against all this,

to repair the defenses of the city,

to take a stand for me

and stand in the gap

to protect this land

so I wouldn't have to destroy it.

I couldn't find anyone.

Not one..."

Isn't that heartbreaking? God felt totally deserted by the people He loved. He wanted just one to love Him back--and to take a stand for Him and stand in the gap to protect their land--but no one did.

I wonder how often that happens today? I wonder how many times God looks at the earth and sees people committing atrocities, looking for one person who will take a stand with Him against evil or injustice.

I hope that these verses are never echoed again. I pray that people like you and me will rise up and stand in the gap for people who desperately need God and His love. I hope that we won't ever get tired of praying for them. And I pray that we won't ever tire of standing for God--even if we have to do it alone.

Tomorrow: Ezekiel 23-24

A dream come true

Today: Genesis 46-47

Don't you love it when (good) dreams come true?

Joseph's life story is filled with many dreams...they almost seem like milestone markers defining key moments in his life. But in today's passage, it's Jacob's dream that comes true. As he's on his way to Egypt to reunite with Joseph, Jacob has a dream from God:

God spoke to Israel in a vision that night: "Jacob! Jacob!"
"Yes?" he said. "I'm listening."
God said, "I am the God of your father.

Don't be afraid of going down to Egypt.

I'm going to make you a great nation there.

I'll go with you down to Egypt;

I'll also bring you back here.

And when you die, Joseph will be with you;

with his own hand he'll close your eyes."

For much of his life, Jacob had mourned the loss of his son Joseph. Surprisingly, Jacob had the opportunity to reunite with him (thousands of years before Internet search tools or The Locator were even available!). To top it all off, the lives of Jacob and his entire family--the family God promised his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham--were saved from famine. And the best part of all? God was with him, guiding his steps and promising continued blessing.

The stories of Joseph and Jacob have been such incredible pictures of God's faithfulness. God's still faithful today. I'm going to do something a little different in this post and pray for anyone reading this...

I hope and pray for you.

I pray for the God-given dreams of your heart.

I pray that you'll see glimmers of God's direction and faithfulness in your life,

even when things seem tough.

I pray that you'll have the wisdom, patience and character

that helped Joseph and Jacob weather their stormy circumstances with grace.

I pray that you'll be able to forgive those who hurt you.

I pray that you will not be afraid--

that you'll walk in the kind of confidence that only comes

from trusting God.

I pray that you'll know and hear His voice and

let His vision be your vision.

And I pray that you'll see those God-given dreams come true.

Amen.

Tomorrow: Genesis 48-50