Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

A Daily Devotional for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

27 August 2024

Reading From Ezekiel 5-8

“The king and the prince will stand helpless, weeping in despair,
and the people’s hands will tremble with fear.
I will bring on them the evil they have done to others,
and they will receive the punishment they so richly deserve.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

–Ezekiel 7:27

“Have you seen this, son of man?” he asked. “Is it nothing to the people of Judah that they commit these detestable sins, leading the whole nation into violence, thumbing their noses at me, and provoking my anger? Therefore, I will respond in fury. I will neither pity nor spare them. And though they cry for mercy, I will not listen.”

–Ezekiel 8:17-18

     Yahweh promises to bring punishment that will fit the crime by doing the same things to the Israelites that they have done to others.  Perfect justice is not something attainable by human effort.  Only an all-knowing, all-powerful, holy God can administer justice that holds everyone accountable.  The evil that the Israelites engaged in showed that they had no fear of the Lord.  His discipline upon them is with the goal of reminding them who the real, true and Living God is.

     Sin is to be taken seriously.  It isn’t “nothing.”  Disobedience against God is spiritually, emotionally, mentally and even physically corrosive.  “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” is what Proverbs 14:34 tells us.  When we examine the lifestyle choices of individuals and people groups within a culture, it is vital to see them through the lens of the truth God has revealed to us.  We should not set truth aside when dealing with societal problems.  Sin is more than a matter of opinion, varying human priorities or some exercise in what we think our rights are.  Sin is disobedience against God and it brings spiritual and physical death.  It infects every aspect of human life.  Sin is not trivial.

     Pride is the root of sin.  From self-worship proceeds all evil.  Even in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve chose to go their own way instead of Elohim’s.  They were deceived by Satan into thinking that they knew better than the Most High God and they suffered the natural consequences that followed.  Our sins have domino effects that are further reaching than we can imagine, especially when we’re caught up in temptation and deception.  Fortunately, so do the righteous acts that God does through us when we yield to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  Choose obedience and choose life. 

“Lord, even in Your discipline You show love for Your people.  Open our eyes to the disobedience we allow in our own lives.  Guide us through the process of repentance, forgiveness, inner healing and restoration.  I pray that we would love You more than the fleeting temptations of this world.  May You bless us with Your eternal perspective and let us fall in love with You all over again.  In the Name of Jehovah Rapha, our Healer I pray.  Amen.”

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

–James 1:12-18