GETTING RID OF OUR SINS

Today's reading: Ezekiel 23-24

"I, the Lord, have spoken! The time has come and I won't hold back; I will not change my mind. You will be judged on the basis of all your wicked actions, says the Sovereign Lord." Ezekiel 24:14 NLT

Let's talk about our sins this morning.

The ones you don't think anyone else knows about.

The ones you've kept quietly and discreetly hidden in your closet or in your heart or in your head.

Yes, those are the ones I want to address.

It's time you got rid of them.

All of them.

Maybe you've been waiting, think God will change His mind about the blackness of them.

You've thought deep down, in the next Bible translation, they wouldn't even be mentioned.

You've compared them to the sins of others and 'theirs' are much worse.

You're become quite comfortable with your sin, its upkeep and the effort it takes to keep it neatly hidden in its box or on its shelf.

It's those exact sins, I believe God was speaking about through the prophet Ezekiel...the ones we think He will overlook.

The will come when He will judge on the basis of our wicked actions and the sins we have not repented of...so get rid of them all today!

THINKING OF HIM

Today's reading: Ezekiel 21-22

"...Then never even think of me and my commands, says the Sovereign Lord." Ezekiel 22:12 NLT

Sunday has rolled around again.

Another Lord's Day is breaking with this morning's dawn.

Thinking back over the past week, I want to make sure we haven't put God on a shelf from Sunday to Sunday.

Have you thought of Him?

Oh, not just when an emergency arose. Or when a tragedy struck. Or when the bottom fell out of your world.

Have you thought of Him?

His commands?

Not just mumble His name before eating or after a near collision in the car.

Not just when you see a billboard signed '-God.'

Are you thinking about Him, talking to Him, walking with Him on a daily basis?

REVERSE PROSTITUTION

Today's reading: Ezekiel 16-17

"So you are the opposite of other prostitutes. No one pays you; instead, you pay them!" Ezekiel 16:34 NLT

 A heavy read this early, so far sunless morning, about Israel's idolatrous living being compared to prostitution.

Verse after verse about how they had known better.

How they had been raised better.

How they had been set apart as better than that.

And yet they chose to sell themselves to another's love.

Worse yet, they chose to pay out of their own pockets for the indecencies.

How true that statement and this morning's verse are!

Sin always costs us.

Costs us dearly. 

Costs us more than we are willing to pay.

And causes us to make payments for a lot longer time than we ever thought we would be involved.

In the darkness of this quiet morning I am being given some time to reflect on what I'm selling myself to other than God.

WHAT I KNOW

Today's reading: Ezekiel 13-15

"...Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord!" Ezekiel 13:9 NLT

My normal routine consists of rising when the alarm sounds, jumping in the shower, dressing, applying the make-up that makes me presentable, grabbing the first third of my 100 ounces of water and sitting down to my Bible.

I find my reading for the day and go through it--then I sit in silence, asking God to speak. 

I listen.

I anticipate.

Quietly with pen in hand.

Only this morning, my quiet time was interrupted with thoughts.

-Is the refrigerator sounding funny? Should I call a repairman today?

-Should I set out pork chops for supper?

-When is that doctor appointment? I need to check my planner.

-Do I have enough laundry detergent for that pile of laundry I can see from my prayer chair?

-Did I send that friend a card?

Oh, friends, it's a good thing I know that He is my Sovereign Lord--because if it were up to me and my scattered thought processes to discover it for myself each and every morning, I'd be hopeless.

Each day amidst the busyness, He reminds me.

Moment by moment He instills it in me.

With the pinking of the dawn and the darkening of the daylight He reveals His majesty to me.

In the middle of all my other thoughts.

His whispers roar peacefully above all the other noises of my day.

THE SPIRIT

Today's reading: Ezekiel 9-12

"Then the Spirit lifted me..." Ezekiel 11:1 NLT

"Then the Spirit said to me..." Ezekiel 11:2 NLT

"Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon me..." Ezekiel 11:5 NLT

"Afterward the Spirit of God carried me..." Ezekiel 11:24 NLT

Here is what God has spoken to my heart.

Said to my soul.

Pointed out in my life.

Brought to my attention.

Put my face gently in His hands and made me look full in His face so I would get...

There is much more the Spirit wants to do for me and in me and through me than I am willing to allow.

LEFT TO ME

Today's reading: Ezekiel 5-8

"But I will let a few of my people escape destruction, and they will be scattered among the nations of the world. Then when they are exiled among the nations, they will remember me. They will recognize how grieved I am by their unfaithful hearts and lustful eyes that long for other gods. Then at last they will hate themselves for all their wickedness." Ezekiel 6:8-10 NLT

Ever been in the position where God has left you to yourself and you find out pretty quickly you aren't at all as capable as you thought you were? Or as smart? Or as handy? Or as God-like?

There are times He will leave you to yourself and your little gods just to see how the camping trip ends up.

And it's never good.

Never profitable.

Never successful.

Never hope-filled.

Never encouraging.

Never lasting long--just long enough for us to come to our senses and cry out for His help!

Here is where God's Word is most beneficial for us: don't let it get to that point. Read these words in Ezekiel. Learn from the mistakes of former generations. Study the words God spoke in love and in warning to His people. Know these verses are as relevant to today as they were to the folks living Jerusalem who heard Ezekiel's voice crying out.

SET ON MY FEET

Today's reading: Ezekiel 1-4

"Then the Spirit came into me and set me on my feet..." Ezekiel 3:24 NLT

Oh, how I needed these words this morning.

This early morning.

This early, Monday morning.

This early, hard-to-get-out-of-bed, Monday morning.

This early, hard-to-get-out-of-bed, burdens-heavy-on-my-heart Monday morning.

It's one of those mornings that I need the Spirit to come into me and set me on my feet.

I need the Spirit to override all the emotions and feelings I'm feeling well up inside of me, most of which are a little less than godly.

I need the Spirit to move into me, move me out and move me to do what it is He needs me to do today.

IT'S NOT FOREVER

Today's reading: Lamentations 3-5

"For the Lord does not abandon anyone forever." Lamentations 3:31 NLT

During dry seasons of faith, know He will come through like a rain shower to dampen the ground of your heart.

During dark nights of worry, know He will come through like the dawn lighting the dark sky.

During the long hours of sorrow, know He will come through like the song of a bird in the form of warm memories and laughter in the soul.

During the doubting season, know He will come through with the answers you need--if they are truly needed.

He does not abandon anyone forever.

He does not leave us stranded beside the road.

He does not leave us unattended in the valley.

He does not leave us uncared for in the sickbed.

He does not leave us alone in the orphanage.

He does not leave us rotting in the stench in the gutter.

He does not leave us alone to our own means and ways and sins.

PLAYING WITH FIRE

Today's reading: Lamentations 1-2

"She defiled herself with immorality with no thought of the punishment that would follow. Now she lies in the gutter with no one to lift her out..." Lamentations 1:9 NLT

It's doubtful this 'gal' woke up one morning and said, Ooh, I'm going to jump into sin head first!

Of course not!

She probably dipped her toe in first by bending her moral convictions. Relaxing her own rules. Ignored what felt comfortable to her.

Tested the waters.

Never EVER thought she would go so far as to SIN.

But with one small choice, followed by another and another and another, she finds herself in a gutter covered head to toe in the refuse of sin and its 'rewards'.

Thank God, thanks be to our God, that even at this point, it isn't too late for our Lord to reach down and rescue her--or me, or you!

MAYBE YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN

Today's reading: Jeremiah 51-52

"He made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. He has stretched out the heavens by his understanding. When he speaks, there is thunder in the heavens. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from its storehouses." Jeremiah 51:15-16 NLT

Maybe, in the midst of your storm you've forgotten who He is.

What power He holds.

What realms He controls.

What lengths He has gone to to rescue you.

Maybe you have forgotten Who cause calm the waves and winds in an instant and holds the fury of the storm in His hands.

Maybe, just maybe, you needed the reminder.

DO NOT FORGET

Today's reading: Jeremiah 50

"But the one who redeems them is strong. His name is the Lord Almighty..." Jeremiah 50:34 NLT

Maybe you are sitting on the littered curb waiting for a knight in shining armor to swing by and rescue you.

Or for someone tall, dark and handsome to come sweep you off your feet.

Or for a prince to come and steal you from the castle tower and the menacing ogre that has held you captive for too long.

Maybe you are waiting for someone to rescue you from yourself--your own worst enemy.

Know this, and do not forget it...

The One who redeems us is strong!

He is not wrapped up in baggage of his own, tied down with addictions of his own, does not have a past of his own, doesn't have another family, won't have good days and bad days.

If you are looking for redemption, salvation, rescue, hope, help or safety in anyone else but God--you are placing your life into the wrong hands.

His name is the Lord Almighty!

SQUATTERS

Today's reading: Jeremiah 49

"This message was given concerning the Ammonites. This is what the Lord says: What are you doing? Are there no descendants of Israel to inherit the land of Gad? Why are you, who worship Molech, living in its towns?" Jeremiah 49:1 NLT

A little background for you. Jeremiah was prophesying judgment against the people who had come in and taken over the land God had given His people. In this country of Ammon, where the people worshipped the idol Molech, they were being brought up on charges by the Lord--and found guilty. He was providing them with a warning of things to come.

It's a bad place for the people of Ammon to be in. One never wants to find themselves on the opposite side of God. One won't win on that side!

These folks were camping out on land that wasn't theirs.

They were pitching tents on squatted land.

Maybe, just maybe, you know of such types.

Thoughts that cross into your mind and linger longer than you'd like.

Ideas and temptations that dare to step over boundary lines you have firmly placed in your life.

People who will blatantly push your buttons knowing full well it might lead to ungodly reactions by you.

Small sins that have snuck into your life for a brief time or for a 'good' reason or in a distracted time.

In each and every instance they are stepping onto property that belongs to you and God. And unless you allow them in, they are to be considered trespassers and their stay can only be allowed to last as long as you let it.

Think about that.

Have any squatters?

BEING HELD CAPTIVE

Today's reading: Jeremiah 47-48

"Because you have trusted in your wealth and skill, you will be taken captive. Your god, Chemosh, with his priests and princes, will be exiled to distant lands!" Jeremiah 48:7 NLT

It doesn't take very long once a wrench is thrown in to the gears of your well-oiled and well-run plans to come to realize what you've been trusting in.

When comfort leaves a situation, you notice it.

When tradition exits with the passing of a loved one and their chair sits empty, you notice it.

When well-made plans aren't followed to the T by all members of the party you believe you have been put in charge of, you notice it.

When illness, disease or mental health confine and you are limited on what you can physically do, you notice.

You quickly notice on what you've been depending.

And that's when you realize, you've become the slave.

All that time you really thought you had control. Had hold of the reins. Managed everything with a whip and a shoestring.

Until you find yourself behind the prison bars.

And your captors no where to be seen.

HE IS WITH US

Today's reading: Jeremiah 44-46

"Fear not, Jacob, my servant, says the Lord, for I am with you..." Jeremiah 46:28 NLT

Don't you sometimes just need to hear God saying that to your spirit?

Don't be afraid.

My child.

I am right here.

As a reminder.

As a statement of proof.

As a solid foundation to place your next step upon.

HARD TO SAY

Today's reading: Jeremiah 40-43

"Whether we like it or not, we will obey the Lord our God to whom we send you with our plea. For if we obey him, everything will turn out well for us." Jeremiah 42:6 NLT

Would you agree with me in saying, those words are hard ones to say and mean?

To stand before God. To take an oath before men. To state to yourself, that whatever God asks of you--you'll do it. Whether you like it or not. Whether you understand it or not. Whether you see the whole, clear, laid out picture, or not.

It's hard even when we know, we down-deep in our hearts know, that it is what's best. It is the ONLY way everything will turn out well for us. It is what we have been created for.

But, gulp, sometimes, well, sometimes, it scares the liver out of us to say-- Whatever You want of me, Lord.

Let's try it today!

YOU PRAY

Today's reading: Jeremiah 37-39

"But neither King Zedekiah nor his officials nor the people who were left in the land listened to what the Lord said through Jeremiah. Nevertheless, King Zedekiah sent Jehucah son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, son of Maaseiah, to ask Jeremiah, Please pray to the Lord our God for us" Jeremiah 37:2-3 NLT

You've got those people in your life...

The ones you've witnessed to...

The ones you've invited to church...

The ones you've shared the Gospel with...

The ones you've dropped Bible verses into conversations with...

The ones you've kept on your prayer lists for ions...

The ones who want, still want, nothing to do with God...

Until something of a catastrophic nature happens, then they come to you asking for prayer.

What do you do?

You pray.

You push aside any emotions.

You put down any pretense.

You cast off any predispositions that might lead to 'I told you so' kind of attitudes, and you pray.

IN WRITING

Today's reading: Jeremiah 33-36

"Perhaps the people of Judah will repent if they see in writing all the terrible things I have planned for them. Then I will be able to forgive their sins and wrongdoings." Jeremiah 36:3 NLT

You read your Bible, don't you?

Sure, I want you listening to your pastor.

Attending your church.

Singing along with your worship team.

Reading a good Bible devotional, now and then.

But we've got to have our noses in the Word of God.

We've got to see, in black and white, holding in our own two hands, His words for us.

It makes it personal.

It makes it tangible.

It makes it real.

It's what He asks us to do.

When we read, especially when we read aloud, it uses different parts of our brain that files information away for later use.

So get in the Word!

Make the effort. Establish the discipline. Begin the good habit. Set the example you want those watching you to follow.

NOT AT ALL ABOUT ME

Today's reading: Jeremiah 31-32

"...I will satisfy my people with my bounty. I, the Lord, have spoken!" Jeremiah 31:14 NLT

Doesn't this verse sum it all up?

It's all about Him...

His abilities...

His ways...

His abundance...

His strengths...

His storehouse of blessings...

And nothing at all about me.

HE HEARS

Today's reading: Jeremiah 28-30

"In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me." Jeremiah 29:12-13 NLT

Everyone knows Jeremiah 29:11, the 'For I know the plans I have for you...' verse.

It's just, well, it's just that when you're waiting impatiently for the good plans the Lord has for you to come about, you have to lean on the verses that come after...verses 12 and 13!

It's when the prayer request remains at the top of your prayer page and at the forefront of your mind that you must remember He hears!

It's when you remain battered and bruised from the climb and you still haven't reached the summit that you have to remember you will find Him when you search for Him!

So while you're waiting...

While you're still looking for His hand...

While you are still anticipating His good, His future and His hope...

Know He hears your prayers and look for Him!

AM I LISTENING?

Today's reading: Jeremiah 25-27

"Again and again, the Lord has sent you his prophets, but you have not listened or even tried to hear. Each time the message was this: Turn from the evil road you are traveling and from the evil things you are doing..." Jeremiah 25:4-5 NLT

Have you ever found yourself in a 'pickle' only to realize that had you been listening to God the whole time, He had been warning you to stop, to turn the other way or to back it up--way up?

Most of us don't wake up to find ourselves waist deep in sin. It's a gradual process. It's a slow progression. It's a long, and sometimes drawn out, trip.

Because if we're honest, we feel His nudges against it from the get-go.

We hear His still small voice in our ear.

We know better--from the very first taste, choice, look or word.

Maybe it's time we started listening, really listening and doing just what He's leading us to do.

HEART TRANSPLANT

Today's reading: Jeremiah 22-24

"I will give them hearts that will recognize me as the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly." Jeremiah 24:7 NLT

I don't know about you, but I'm in need of a heart transplant.

Not, the medical kind, but the spiritual one.

The kind that takes me back to the feet of Jesus.

The one that places me firmly at the base of the cross.

The type of transplant that removes all bits and pieces of self-made and erected idols and puts God right back where He belongs in my life.

Back to the joy-filled, peace-giving, excitement-loaded, share-it-with-everyone, cannot-believe-it-would-happen-to-me kind of thrill that salvation gave me at first.

I want that 'heart' back.

AS SIMPLE AS THAT

Today's reading: Jeremiah 18-21

"Lord, help me!.." Jeremiah 18:19 NLT

I read all four chapters.

I wanted to find something deep. Something witty. Something to expound upon. Something to add my two cents worth to.

But in all honesty, some days, Lord, help me, is as simple...and as complex...as it gets.

Today is one of those days.

Maybe life is overwhelming you-Lord, help me!

Maybe life has blessed you in an amazing way-Lord, help me!

Maybe your list of requests remains unanswered in your requested time frame-Lord, help me!

Maybe your plans haven't been followed by the Lord-Lord, help me!

Maybe, just maybe, you've exhausted yourself with yourself-Lord help me!

Some pretty hefty words from Scripture!

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

Today's reading: Jeremiah 15-17

"This is what the Lord says: Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They live in the barren wilderness, on the salty flats where no one lives.

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of droughts. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing delicious fruit." Jeremiah 17:5-8 NLT

I've started a new intense Bible study that is testing my brain power.

I'm having to dig into my high school memories and re-live terms like metaphors, similes and the like.

The study author desires that those studying with her really get the comprehension, the interpretation and the application of each passage of Scripture--so we're going deep!

One of the first things she asks of me is to look in passages for places where the author compares and contrasts.

I spotted it this morning!

I see where Jeremiah compares and contrasts the life of a God-follower and a people-pleaser.

I also quickly see where the blessings fall and where the attempts will come up achingly short.

It's easy to spot the difference: a stunted shrub growing on a salt flat or a deeply rooted tree growing along a riverbank! 

No hope or green leaves and delicious fruit?

Even in a mind that doesn't run wild with imagination one can easily see which would be a better choice, but for a gal whose mind is always seemingly tanked on caffeine (and I never drink anything harder than water) it's a no-brainer!

The Scripture has opened up to me in a brighter light this morning--and I love it!

SO I WILL WAIT

Today's reading: Jeremiah 12-14

"Can any of the foreign gods send us rain? Does it fall from the sky by itself? No, it comes from you, Lord our God! Only you can do such things. So we will wait for you to help us." Jeremiah 14:22 NLT

I'm a pretty handy gal.

There are a lot of things I can do.

Several skills I have.

One of the best knows talents I have attained in my almost 50 years, getting into a whole heap of a lot of trouble!

It's true.

When I rush into a situation...

When I push my way into a solution...

When I insist on getting my own way...

When I maneuver things to look and work out the way I want them to...

So I am having to make myself learn the blessed art of learning to wait for God to help me.

To learn to watch for His hand moving and follow.

To listen for His instruction.

To push aside my blueprints and go with His plans.

Or I will find myself into a mess of my own making. Again. And again. And again.

RED MARKING PENCIL

Today's reading: Jeremiah 9-11

"So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle..." Jeremiah 10:24 NLT

Remember when you were in school and would receive a graded paper back from your teacher.

He/she would usually hand them to you face down, and you would gingerly turn them over, looking pensively for the red letter at the top of the page--denoting your grade on your attempt.

For those of us with great teachers, not only would there be a letter at the top of the paper, but also a note of encouragement or words of cheer.

But for those of us with the exceptional teachers, littered among the paper were also notes written in red ink that led us to see where we could improve, what we could have done in a neater fashion or what we might have left out completely--in my case, run-on sentences almost every time!

Constructive criticism.

Teachable moments.

Those scribbled addendums led us to know the paper had actually been read, its words digested and its content surveyed. Not just in an effort to look for errors but in hopes of helping us better our skills.

The prophet, Jeremiah, is asking God to do that in his life.

He's asking God to get out His red marking pencil and ever so lovingly make notes as to where he needs to make changes, confess of sins and put away idols.

What a prayer for us!

We all need to ask the same of God.

God, please correct us. Do it gently, Lord, but do it, please!

I WENT TO CHURCH

Today's reading: Jeremiah 6-8

"Do you think that because the Temple is here you will never suffer? Don't fool yourselves! Do you really think you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie and worship Baal and all those other new gods of yours, and then come here and stand before me in my Temple and chance, We are safe!--only to go right back to all those evils again?" Jeremiah 7:8-10 NLT

I don't know what you think attending church does for you, but I want you to consider your reasons very carefully.

It is not just something to mark off your Christian checklist.

Or a nice addition to your gospel resume.

Or a 'get out of jail free card' for the week ahead.

Pew sitting is not a blessing attainer or a getter of all things godly.

If you aren't attending church in an effort to worship God's holiness, to be in God's presence and to hear God's word preached--then I want you to re-calculate your reasons.

If you aren't leaving each worship service changed, impacted, encouraged or convicted, ask God to re-direct your heart.

OUT-OF-TOWNER

Today's reading: Jeremiah 4-5

"And when your people ask, Why is the Lord our God doing this to us? you must reply, You rejected him and gave yourselves to foreign gods in your own land. Now you will serve foreigners in a land that is not your own." Jeremiah 5:19 NLT

Ever felt like you had no control of your own actions? Emotions? Reactions?

Walked through events like a puppet being manipulated by strings held by another?

Might it be that for too long, someone else has held the strings to your life?

Other gods have ruled you?

We like to think that we are in charge of who we worship, who we bow down to and who we let in and out of our lives--but in fact, unless it is God, we are controlled by them.

And before we know it, we are held captive by the same things we thought we have control over. 

We are being held hostage in our own bodies, our own heads, our own minds.

If you are feeling like an out-of-towner in your own self, spend some time with God. Allow Him to speak to your heart and soul about what or who has taken over. Let Him do some renovations that might need done.

He is willing and He is able!

WATCHED
Today's reading: Jeremiah 1-3

"From childhood we have watched as everything our ancestors worked for--their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters--was squandered on a delusion. Let us now lie down in shame and dishonor, for we and our ancestors have always sinned against the Lord our God. We have never obeyed him." Jeremiah 3:24-25 NLT

I don't know what kind of home you were raised in.

What kind of raising you were privy to.

Which environment you were brought up in.

Good or bad, it's influenced you.

It has.

For the better, or for the worse.

But it is not a seal on your future.

Or on the future of those you are influencing.

Sin cycles can be broken.

Generational curses can be crushed.

Family addictions can be strangled.

Changes can be made.

Through Christ.

Only through Christ.

Choose to begin that change today.

For yourself...and those coming after you.

WILL NEVER DISAPPEAR
Today's reading: Isaiah 64-66

"As surely as my new heavens and earth will remain, so will you always be my people, with a name that will never disappear, says the Lord." Isaiah 66:22 NLT

Maybe you've seen the Disney/Pixar movie featuring the toys that 'come to life'.

This verse reminds me so vividly of the one cowboy hat wearing doll who has his owner's name scrawled on the bottom of his boot in permanent marker.

No matter what crazy predicament this toy found himself in, he could look at this 'autograph' and know whose he was.

No matter how far from home he found himself, he knew by looking at his 'tag' who he belonged to.

No matter how he felt, he knew by taking a quick glance at his beloved's signature someone cared enough to sign their name to their very being.

WOW!

And to think, that's all biblical.

God does the exact same thing for us, born again believer.

He has signed His name to your heart--and no amount of scrubbing can remove it. No amount of sin can cover it up. No amount of accusations by our Accuser can erase it.

Let me just say, that's a huge amount of assurance for those of us who have wandered AND for those of us who have wanderers.

$150
Today's reading: Isaiah 60-63

"You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate, but you shall be called My Delight Is In Her..." Isaiah 62:4 ESV

(I grabbed a different translation this morning because I really liked how they used the Hebrew words!)

There is a man who comes in the lumberyard who has recently had his named changed.

It's true.

A grown man.

A retirement-aged man who has gone through the local courthouse and has had court documents recorded and filed to have his last name legally changed.

All because he never liked the spelling.

All for $150. I know because I asked--I'm like that, I really am. Consider it investigative.

I thought that to be quite interesting.

And I immediately thought of him when I read this verse--and thought, for so many of us, we would fork over $150--or more, to have our names, or labels, changed!

To think how long, how often or how wrongly we wear the nametags/labels/identities given to us by the world and our poor choices and not by God.

But to think of our true identities as being Delightful? Chosen by God? His?