August 8 - Living for the Living God

Today's Reading:
O.T. - Daniel 4 - 6
N.T. - 1 Peter 2:9-12

Focus Verses: Daniel 6:25-28
25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language throughout the land: "May you prosper greatly! 26 "I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. "For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. 27 He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions." 28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Insight:
Daniel's faithfulness to God resulted in prosperity and blessing. Even King Darius was moved to offer praise and worship to "the God of Daniel," because he had witnessed God's mighty power to sustain and help Daniel.

Response and Action:
My faithfulness to God will result in blessing to me and others. I want to live with faithfulness and boldness like Daniel. I pray that my life would be a testimony of God's power to protect and bless.

O God, pour out your mercy and blessing on me. Give me a heart that is faithful toward you, and give me the wisdom and will to walk in your ways to the glory of your name. Amen.

Proverbs: 8:35
"For whoever finds me (wisdom) finds life and receives favor from the LORD."

Resources:
Living the God Life
by John Ortberg

August 7 - Unshakable Faith

Today's Reading:
O.T. - Daniel 1 - 3
N.T. - Philippians 1:12-26 & 4:12-13

Focus Verses: Daniel 3:16-18
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

Insight:
The resolve and commitment of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is remarkable. It's no wonder they caught the eye of the King when he was looking for outstanding young men to serve him. Their faith in God was unyielding.

They believed God could deliver them from anyone and anything. They were convinced that God had the power to sustain them through any circumstance. They did not, however, confuse what God could do with what God would do or with what they thought God should do. They were willing to stay true to their convictions regardless of their personal situation. They trusted God in life and in death.

Response and Action:
My faith in God cannot be dependent on things going my way. I must take a stand and remain true to God and his word regardless of my circumstance. Real faith believes that God can be glorified whether by life or by death. Trusting God requires acceptance of the possibility for God's will to be served and his glory increased through personal loss or gain.

O God, help me to trust in you with all my heart and to not lean on my own understanding. Help me to be faithful to you and to bring you honor whether my circumstances are good or bad. Give me a steadfast faith that weathers the storms and difficulties of life. Amen.

Proverbs: 7:2-3
"Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart."

Resources:
Ruthless Trust: The Ragamuffin's Path to God
by Brennan Manning

August 6 - Flowing River

Today's Reading:
O.T. - Ezekiel 46 - 48
N.T. - Hebrews 10:1-25 and John 7:37-39

Focus Verses: Ezekiel 47:12
12 "Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing."

Insight:
Most of Ezekiel's temple vision seems like a literal description of something to come. But suddenly, the vision turns more poetic and symbolic as, in the middle of all the measurements and details, he begins to describe a life-giving river that flows out from under the very entrance of the temple. From this place of worship, a stream of life and blessing are flowing out into the surrounding land--first ankle deep, then knee deep, and finally so deep it cannot be crossed. The trees along the bank are always fruitful. Their fruit is nourishing and their leaves have healing, restorative attributes.

True worship and a right relationship with God are like a river of life. Those who know and honor God are standing in that river and they should bear fruit in every season. They should be a source of nourishment and healing to everyone around them.

Response and Action:
I must draw near to God, through Christ Jesus. I will worship and honor God in thanksgiving for the river of life and blessing Jesus has opened up for me. I will draw upon this living water, and seek to be a source of blessing and healing for others around me. Bearing fruit, nourishing others, and giving health are things I will expect to result from a life of genuine worship and praise.

O God, I thank you for the streams of living water that flow from your Son, Jesus. Wash over me and transform me so completely that I become a source of life, blessing, and health to the world around me. May streams of living water flow from my heart, the innermost part of my being. Amen.

Proverbs: 6:23
"For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life..."

Resources:
So Far to Go - "The River" (Track 6)
Audio CD by Dave Burkum
The Dangerous Act of Worship: Living God's Call to Justice
Book by Mark Labberton

August 5 - Unclaimed Promises

Today's Reading:
O.T. - Ezekiel 43 - 45
N.T. - 2 Peter 3:1-11 and James 2:14-26

Focus Verses: Ezekiel 43:3-5
3 The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. 4 The glory of the LORD entered the temple through the gate facing east. 5 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.

Insight:
Ezekiel's vision of a restored temple, Jerusalem, and Israel was very detailed. It brings to mind the visions Moses received from God. Ezekiel's ideas about how God would bring his people out of their captivity in Persia parallels the Exodus story of how God brought the nation of Israel out of bondage to Egypt.

Sadly, the actual story of Israel's return from exile (Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther) does not seem to take hold of the promise Ezekiel prophesied. The temple they rebuilt was modest, and the "glory of the Lord" is noticeably absent from the accounts of its dedication. The city of Jerusalem was a shamble for years, and the wall around it lay in ruins for almost a century after the exile until Nehemiah took up the cause as an act of faith. There just weren't enough people who had enough faith to embrace Ezekiel's vision. That lack of faith led to a lack of action, and so most of the promises Ezekiel delivered were left unclaimed.


Response and Action:
God has made known many great and precious promises to me through the pages of Scripture and the recorded history of his people. He has sent his Son, Jesus, into the world, and given the teachings of the apostles (who were taught, empowered, and sent out by Jesus). In order to claim God's promises, my faith and action are necessary.

O God, give me a heart of faith and the will to act in faith. Thank you for the promise of life, salvation, hope, and eternity you have extended to me through Christ Jesus. Give me the ears to hear your promises, and the obedience and belief to act upon them. Help me to experience the depth and abundance of life promised to all who will respond to you and act in faith. Amen.

Proverbs: 5:21
"For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths."

Resources:
Believing God
by Beth Moore

August 4 - Imagine Possibilities

Today's Reading:
O.T. - Ezekiel 40 - 42
N.T. - Ephesians 3:4-21

Focus Verses: Ezekiel 40:1-5
1 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the fall of the city—on that very day the hand of the LORD was upon me and he took me there. 2 In visions of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city. 3 He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze; he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. 4 The man said to me, "Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the house of Israel everything you see." 5 I saw a wall completely surrounding the temple area. The length of the measuring rod in the man's hand was six long cubits, each of which was a cubit and a handbreadth. He measured the wall; it was one measuring rod thick and one rod high.

Insight:
Ezekiel's vision of a restored temple is very strange and mysterious to me. It's a temple plan that was not built when the Israelites returned from their exile. And from a Christian point of view, it's a temple plan that doesn't seem necessary to build or likely to be built at any time in the future. So what is here for me to apply? Well, for starters I could simply embrace the mystery of Scripture. The words of the prophets, like most true things, are gloriously complex and difficult to fully understand. Ezekiel's vision was for someone else in another time and place. Maybe they didn't even understand it. Or maybe they did not accept it and so never took hold of the promised possibility.

Though I do not understand Ezekiel's vision, I do understand that Ezekiel was a man in exile living among the exiled captives who had experienced the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. Twenty-five years into captivity and forty-five years before it would end, Ezekiel had such faith in God's promise to literally save and restore his people, that he had dreams about the floor plans and measurements of a new temple built in a new Jerusalem. That's real faith and hope.

Response and Action:
The story of God's redemptive relationship with his people is long and complex. I will not let the things I don't understand stop me from pursuing my own story and my own relationship with God. Even my story is too difficult for me to fully comprehend! I will also open my heart and mind to to what Ezekiel calls "visions of God." I want to have a godly imagination and be open to possibilities of restoration, new life, and new hope, and to dream about them in full color and great detail.

O God, open my eyes to the possibilities you have given me in Christ. Show me your ways and give me faith and hope to pursue every good dream and every worthy goal that finds its inspiration in you. Amen.

Proverbs: 4:25
"Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you."

Resources:
An Introduction to the Old Testament: The Canon and Christian Imagination
by Walter Brueggemann

August 3 - Dry Bones

Today's Reading:
O.T. - Ezekiel 37 - 39
N.T. - John 6:38-40 / Romans 8:9-11

Focus Verses: Ezekiel 37:1-6
1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know." 4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.' "

Insight:
God has the power to restore life. He can raise the dead. Those who are dead in their transgressions are not beyond God's resurrection power.

Response and Action:
I need to look to God for life and restoration. Can God raise these bones and give them life? Yes. I must not give up on life or on the possibilities of change and transformation. In situations where things seem as hopeless as a pile of dry bones, I must remember that God can raise even dry bones into a mighty army to serve his purposes.

O God, give me faith in your power to save and restore. Help me to remember that you are able to conquer death with life. My hope is in you. Thank you for your Holy Spirit who lives in me, the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead. Amen.

Proverbs: 3:7-8
"Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones."

Resources:
Never Beyond Hope: How God Touches & Uses Imperfect People
by J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom

August 2 - The Builder who Restores

Today's Reading:
O.T. - Ezekiel 34 - 36
N.T. - 1 Peter 2:1-12

Focus Verses: Ezekiel 36:33-36
33 " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt. 34 The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. 35 They will say, "This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited." 36 Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the LORD have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.' "

Insight:
Though most of Ezekiel's message is harsh and threatening, the promise of God's desire to rebuild and renew his people does come through. God looks beyond judgment to the day when he would cleanse his people from all their sins--a day of redemption and restoration. God's power to restore is so unlimited, that he can take a wasteland and turn it into a garden like Eden.

Response and Action:
I recognize my need for God's redemptive and saving work in my life. I will look to God for salvation, to be cleansed of my sin. I will be responsive to God and allow him to cultivate the soil of my heart and plant his truth in me. I will look to God for the direction, wisdom, and strength needed to build my life. Only God has the power and wisdom to build my character, my family, my work, my home, my community, my church, and my world.

O God, unless you are the builder of my life, all my labor is in vain. Show me your ways; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior. My hope is in you all day long. When I fall down, lift me up. When I am broken, build me up. Strengthen me and uphold me as I surrender my life completely to your saving and redemptive hand. Amen.

Proverbs: 2:6
"For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding."

Resources:
Rebuilding Your Broken World
by Gordon MacDonald

August 1 - Hearing and Doing

Today's Reading:
O.T. - Ezekiel 31-33
N.T. - Matthew 7:24-28 / James 1:19-27

Focus Verses: Ezekiel 33:30-33
30 "As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, 'Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD.' 31 My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. 32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice. 33 "When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them."

Insight:
People would come to hear Ezekiel prophesy, but their hearing didn't move them toward doing. They would listen to him, they found it entertaining or inspirational, and they even invited others to come along with them. They would even nod their heads in agreement and sing songs of devotion. But after hearing him, they would go their merry way without acting upon the things he had said. Only after they suffered the consequences of their inaction would they come to understand the practical truth and divine authority of Ezekiel's words.

Response and Action:
Jesus said that wise people not only hear his words, but also put them into practice. When I hear the word of God and fail to act upon it, I am deceiving myself. It is not enough to hear or say words, enjoy teaching, or sing Christian songs; my faith must be lived out in real and tangible ways. Hearing without doing is worthless.

O God, thank you for your word. Give me a receptive heart and give me the wisdom to put your word into practice. Help me to demonstrate my faith in the Bible in the ways I act upon what it says. I believe the Scriptures to be God-breathed and I believe they are useful. As I read and meditate upon your Word, give me the wisdom to be taught, corrected, rebuked, and equipped for every good work. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Proverbs: 1:29-31
"Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes."

Resources:
Faith Works
by Jim Wallis

July 31 - Dangerous Success

Today's Reading:
O.T. - Ezekiel 28 - 30
N.T. - Colossians 3

Focus Verses: Ezekiel 28:4-7
4 By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries. 5 By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart has grown proud. 6 " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: " 'Because you think you are wise, as wise as a god, 7 I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations; they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce your shining splendor.

Insight:
Success is a dangerous thing. According to Ezekiel's prophecy, the King of Tyre had accomplished great success through wisdom, understanding, and great skill in trading. His downfall, however, was that success went to his head, and because of his wealth his heart became proud. He went so far as to think of himself as a god.

Response and Action:
I want to be successful in my life and work, but I must guard against pride. I want to do good work and to accomplish much in my life, but I must do my work with my heart directed toward God's glory. Any success that turns me away from God is a success that God must oppose for my own good.

O God, help me in everything I do, whether in word or deed, to do it to your glory. Help me to pursue success and excellence with a heart for honoring you. Deny me any success or accomplishment that would turn my heart away from you. Give me a humble heart that gives you praise and thanks for every good thing I am able to do and every good thing I possess. Through Christ, Amen.

Proverbs: 31:30
"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."

Resources:
Breaking the Idols of Your Heart
by Dan B. Allender

July 30 - Once Shining, Now Shattered

Today's Reading:
O.T. - Ezekiel 25 - 27
N.T. - Revelation 3:14-21

Focus Verses: Ezekiel 27:32-34
32 As they wail and mourn over you, they will take up a lament concerning you: "Who was ever silenced like Tyre, surrounded by the sea?" 33 When your merchandise went out on the seas, you satisfied many nations; with your great wealth and your wares you enriched the kings of the earth. 34 Now you are shattered by the sea in the depths of the waters; your wares and all your company have gone down with you.

Insight:
How many times in the course of human history has the world witnessed the fall of the mighty? Ezekiel prophesied against the port city of Tyre, saying, "This is what the Sovereign LORD says to Tyre: 'Will not the coastlands tremble at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan and the slaughter takes place in you?'' Because Tyre gloated arrogantly over the destruction of Jerusalem, it would now suffer the same fate. Instead of being a shining gem of the coast, it would now become a shattered ruin where fishermen would mend their nets and shudder at the memory of the once might city.

Pride, arrogance, and trusting in self always end with disastrous results. As the saying goes, "the bigger they are, the harder they fall." Gloating over the failings of others is a deceptive and dangerous form of pride. God calls us to put our trust in him and to walk humbly before him.

Response and Action:
I must trust in the Lord with all my heart. I must never trust in my own strength. I must guard against pride and self-righteousness. I should always remember that every good and perfect gift I have comes from God. I will be thankful, and never let the gifts God has given distract me from the Giver.

O God, you have shown me what is good and what you require: to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with you. Help me to put my trust in you and to have the wisdom to acknowledge my weakness and dependence upon you. Help me to be a person who prays for others, and acts and hopes for their redemption. Give me a humble spirit that never takes joy in the fall of others, and never gloats when your hand of discipline is on others. Amen.

Proverbs: 30:32
"If you have played the fool and exalted yourself, or if you have planned evil, clap your hand over your mouth!

Resources:
Mere Christianity ("The Great Sin" - Chapter 8)
by C. S. Lewis

July 29 - Unfaithful

Today's Reading:
O.T. - Ezekiel 22 - 24
N.T. - 2 Timothy 2

Focus Verses: Ezekiel 23:35-41
35 "Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Since you have forgotten me and thrust me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your lewdness and prostitution." 36 The LORD said to me: "Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront them with their detestable practices 37 for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food for them. 38 They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary and desecrated my Sabbaths. 39 On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated it. That is what they did in my house. 40 "They even sent messengers for men who came from far away, and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, painted your eyes and put on your jewelry. 41 You sat on an elegant couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed the incense and oil that belonged to me."

Insight:
Ezekiel uses the shocking and graphic metaphors of adultery and prostitution to describe the behavior of Samaria (the northern tribes of Israel) and Judah (the southern tribes). Even when they entered the Temple to "worship" God, they were coming from being fully engaged in pagan worship, sexuality, and idolatry. They acted as though God was just one of many gods, and that the Temple was just one of many religious sites.

Response and Action:
God calls his people to be faithful to him. No amount of going to church, saying religious words, singing worship songs, or making claims of belief can make up for unfaithfulness. I need to be faithful to God and be on guard against duplicity. I must not allow myself to be comfortable with disconnects between my behavior and my belief--saying one thing but do another, claiming to follow God while going my own way and chasing after other things. God will not settle for being part of my life, he demands all of me.

O God, help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Help me to honor you and to allow nothing else to rival my reverence and faithfulness to you. Save me from hypocrisy and duplicity. Give me a single-minded allegiance to you. Forgive me for my sins and failures, and save me by your grace. Lift me up, show me your ways, and give me the wisdom and the will to walk in them. Give me a mind that is quick to obey, and a heart that delights in you. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Proverbs: 29:6
"An evil man is snared by his own sin, but a righteous one can sing and be glad."

Resources:
Breaking the Idols of Your Heart
by Dan B. Allender

July 28 - Inquiring of God

Today's Reading:
O.T. - Ezekiel 19 - 21
N.T. - Hebrews 4:1-13

Focus Verses: Ezekiel 20:1-3, 11-13
1 In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and they sat down in front of me. 2 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 3 "Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign LORD.' --- 11 'I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. 12 Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the LORD made them holy. 13 Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws—although the man who obeys them will live by them—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the desert.' "

Insight:
Some elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and they sat down in front of Ezekiel. God had a surprising message for them. He said something to this effect: "No, I won't let you inquire of me. What makes you think you can ignore me, as you have for so long, and then expect me to speak now? You've ignored all that I've done for Israel in the past; you've ignored all that I said and commanded through Moses; and you've abandoned the Sabbaths I asked you to keep as a sign of my provision to you and your trust in me." It's dangerous to ignore God. If you stop listening, he may stop talking.

Response and Action:
If I abuse God's grace and ignore all he has revealed to me through the prophets, Scripture, Jesus, and the Apostles, I may find him unwilling to speak (or myself unable to hear) when I finally do ask for direction.

I should give God my complete attention right now. I should read and heed the Bible. I should be completely familiar with the words and actions of Jesus. Taking the time to seek God's direction should be a part of everyday, normal life, not something done in times of emergency. Even taking the time to rest and trust God to provide can be a sign--a testimony--of my reverence and faith.

O God, help me to seek you and love you with my whole heart. Reveal yourself to me in clear and profound ways through Jesus, the Bible, your Spirit, your people, creation, and all that is beautiful and true. Remind me that taking time for rest and renewal is an act of trust and worship. Amen.

Proverbs: 28:9
"If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable."

Resources:
Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God's Transforming Presence
by Ruth Haley Barton

July 27 - Turn and Live

Today's Reading:
O.T. - Ezekiel 16 - 18
N.T. - Ephesians 1

Focus Verses: Ezekiel 18:30-32
30 "Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!

Insight:
Each person is accountable to God for his own sin. God does not condemn children because of the sins of their parents, and God does not condemn parents for the sins of their children. God judges "each one according to his ways." The whole of chapter 18 makes it clear that God is just; he looks at each person as an individual; he calls everyone to turn away from sin; he promises a new heart and a new spirit to those who repent; he takes no pleasure in condemning people, but would rather redeem and forgive.

Response and Action:
God deals with me as an individual. The sin I need to be most concerned about is my own. I do not need to worry about God condemning me because of the sins of others. The way I deal with my own sin is the chief concern in my relationship with God and my hope in his promises. God does not take pleasure in condemning and punishing sinners; he would rather save and redeem them. Because of this, my first thought of God will be as a redeemer and savior. When I think of God as a judge, it will be as a reluctant judge who grieves over those he is judging.

O God, thank you for looking on me as an individual and for offering me hope and life. Save and redeem me. Help me to see my sins for what they are and to turn away from them. Lead me away from temptation, and deliver me from evil. Help me to walk in faithfulness to you. Grant me the wisdom and the will to guard my heart, feed my spirit, stimulate my mind, and care for my body. Help my life to be a praise to your glorious grace. Amen.

Proverbs: 27:12
"The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it."

Resources:
Grace: The Power to Change
by James B. Richards

July 26 - Something Useful

Today's Reading:
O.T. - Ezekiel 13 - 15
N.T. - John 15:1-17

Focus Verses: Ezekiel 15:1-6
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, how is the wood of a vine better than that of a branch on any of the trees in the forest? 3 Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful? Do they make pegs from it to hang things on? 4 And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and the fire burns both ends and chars the middle, is it then useful for anything? 5 If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it is charred? 6 "Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: As I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem."

Insight:
Though the nations surrounding Israel were strong, wealthy, skilled, and capable of great accomplishment, God had not spared them from judgment. Compared to the nations around them, Israel had become weak and useless. Any tree in the forest is stronger than a vine. God was Israel's strength, but they had rejected God. If the trees (the strong nations who had rejected God) could not survive the fire, how much less could a dried up vine (Israel) survive?

Response and Action:
We were not meant to live without God. No one, regardless of how strong they are, can reject God and still expect to live life to the fullest. I must recognize my weakness and my need for God. I must live with reverence toward God and be sure my life is rooted in Him. Living in connection with God is the only way to have a fruitful, fulfilling, and useful life.

O God, I am nothing on my own. I consider all my strengths to be nothing compared to the surpassing value of knowing you. Help me to draw near to you, to mature in my relationship with you, and to find my strength and purpose in you. Encourage me by your Spirit, through your Word, your people, your promises, and all that is beautiful and true. Amen.

Proverbs: 26:12
"Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him."

Resources:
Life on the Vine
by Philip D. Kenneson

July 25 - New Heart, New Spirit

Today's Reading:
O.T. - Ezekiel 10 - 12
N.T. - Hebrews 8

Focus Verses: Ezekiel 11:17-20
17 "Therefore say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.' 18 "They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. 19 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God."

Insight:
Because of the sin and rebellion of his people, God withdrew his glorious presence from their temple and handed them over to captivity and exile. Even as this was happening, God gave Ezekiel a vision of restoration and a new and better relationship with his people.

God says he will gather up his people and give them a new spirit. Their heart of stone would one day be replaced with a heart of flesh. Instead of a hardhearted nation that needed the law to restrain them, they would become a softhearted people with a genuine love for God. Righteousness would be not the result of external rule keeping, but instead be the natural outflow of hearts shaped by God.

Response and Action:
God is drawing people to relationship with him. To those who seek him and yield themselves to him, he will give new hearts and the gift of his Spirit.

O God, give me a heart of flesh. By the power and grace of your Holy Spirit, lead me, shape me, and transform me. Help me to delight in your will and walk in your ways. Turn my heart toward you that my actions are the natural result of your shaping and renewing work in my life. Help me to be so renewed and rooted in you that I do what is right without being reminded of rules and regulations. Amen.

Proverbs: 25:25
"Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land."

Resources:
Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ
by Dallas Willard

July 24 - Faithful among the Faithless

Today's Reading:
O.T. - Ezekiel 7 - 9
N.T. - Hebrews 10

Focus Verses:
Ezekiel 8:12-13 12 He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, 'The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.' " 13 Again, he said, "You will see them doing things that are even more detestable."
Ezekiel 9:3-4 3 Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the LORD called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side 4 and said to him, "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it."

Insight:
The corruption and idolatry of God’s people was pervasive and deep. Even the elders who were to be the spiritual leaders of Israel had turned away from God. They had even brought idols into the temple and offered up prayer and worship to them. As their nation was falling apart, they lost faith in God and turned to superstition and pagan Gods. [Ez. 8:12-13]

Yet, in the midst of all this apostasy and unfaithfulness, there were people who remained faithful to God. Their faithfulness was demonstrated by the grief and sorrow they had about the sins of their nation. When judgment was poured out on Israel, God took special note of those who trusted in him. They were spared from death and survived the storm of destruction that left Israel in ruins. [Ez. 9:3-4]

Response and Action:
God holds people accountable for their actions. God recognizes those who are seeking him and trusting in him. God delivers those who look to him in faith. I must seek God with my whole heart. I must remain faithful to God and turn away from the sin and corruption that pervades my world. The things that grieve God's heart should grieve my heart too.

O God, help me to be faithful to you. Give me the wisdom to recognize sin and corruption and to turn away from it. Give me a heart that grieves over the things that grieve you. Show me your ways, and by your grace, give me the strength and will to walk in them. Though all around me should turn away from you, help me to remain true to you and to follow you with my whole heart. Amen.

Proverbs: 24:1-2
"Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company; for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble."

Resources:
Walking Away from Faith: Unraveling the Mystery of Belief and Unbelief
by Ruth Tucker

July 23 - Remembering God

Today's Reading:
O.T. - Ezekiel 4 - 6
N.T. - 2 Peter 2

Focus Verses: Ez. 6:6-9
6 Wherever you live, the towns will be laid waste and the high places demolished, so that your altars will be laid waste and devastated, your idols smashed and ruined, your incense altars broken down, and what you have made wiped out. 7 Your people will fall slain among you, and you will know that I am the LORD. 8 " 'But I will spare some, for some of you will escape the sword when you are scattered among the lands and nations. 9 Then in the nations where they have been carried captive, those who escape will remember me—how I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts, which have turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their idols. They will loathe themselves for the evil they have done and for all their detestable practices.

Insight:
Once the people of Israel experienced the devastating consequences of their sin and rejection of God, they would, says Ezekiel, remember God and turn away from their worthless idols and detestable practices. They would recognize their sin, their spiritual adultery, the futility of idolatry, and the worthlessness of pagan worship. Ezekiel foretold the scattering and captivity of God's people. He also prophesied God's plan to save a redeem the remnant of people who would remain faithful or turn back to him.

Response and Action:
I must turn from anything that would lead me away from God. I will not commit spiritual adultery. I will worship God with all my heart. I do not want to grieve God by being unfaithful to him.

O God, help me to turn away from what is wrong and to do what is right. Help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. By the power and grace of your Holy Spirit, lead, teach, transform, shape, and strengthen me, that I might delight in your will and walk in your ways to the glory of your name. Amen.

Proverbs: 23:1-3
"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. "

Resources:
Never Beyond Hope: How God Touches & Uses Imperfect People
by J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom

July 22 - Listen and Speak

Today's Reading:
O.T. - Ezekiel 1 - 3
N.T. - Titus 2

Focus Verses: Ez. 2:3-8
3 He said: "Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. 4 The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, "This is what the Sovereign LORD says." 5 And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6 And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house. 7 You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. 8 But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you."

Insight:
Ezekiel was called by God to speak out to his people, who were obstinate, stubborn, and rebellious. God told Ezekiel to take in and digest the message he had for the people--a message that was sweet because it was truth from God, but bitter because it was judgment toward Israel. The success of his message was not as important as his faithfulness to deliver God's message. He was to speak out whether people listened to him or not. And though many would respond to his words with threats and violence, Ezekiel was to not be afraid.

Response and Action:
How am I like Israel? What are the ways that I am rebellious and obstinate before God? And how responsive am I to rebuke and correction? Who are the people God has put in my life to admonish and confront me? Being open to correction and confrontation are essential to growing in righteousness.

How am I like Ezekiel? Are there things I should speak out about? Are there people or issues I need to confront? Do threats and fears ever stop me from saying what I know is right? Being a faithful witness requires a commitment to take in the sweetness of God's word, and the trust to speak that truth with courage.

O God, give me a heart that is soft and responsive to you. Give me the wisdom to delight in the sweetness of your word. And as you shape and guide me by your word, give me a boldness to live and speak according to your word. May the words of my mouth, the works of my hands, and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight. Through Christ, I pray. Amen.

Proverbs: 22:5
"In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them."

Resources:
Making Judgments Without Being Judgmental: Nurturing a Clear Mind and a Generous Heart
by Terry D. Cooper

July 21 - New Every Morning

Today's Reading:
O.T. - Lamentations 3 - 5
N.T. - Ephesians 2:1-10

Focus Verses:
Lamentations 3:19-26
19 I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. 20 I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. 21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." 25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; 26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

Insight:
Remembering sins and failures can be a bitter. Looking back and realizing the time wasted pursuing the wrong things down the wrong paths can be depressing. In those moments of recognition and evaluation, Jeremiah called to mind God's love. Even though he was facing a terrible situation, he realized that things could be worse. He brought to mind God's compassion and mercy. He was able to hope in the Lord and his great faithfulness. He recognized his need for God's salvation, and trust in God’s goodness to those who seek and wait on him.

Response and Action:
When I am depressed or overwhelmed, I will hope in the Lord. I will acknowledge my sin and my need for God's salvation. I will wait on God, believing that he is good and able to save and renew me. I trust that God can use sad and bitter times to refine me, strengthen me, and lead me to maturity. Every day is a new day with new possibilities and new mercies from God's hand.

O God,
Every morning mercies new fall as fresh as morning dew.
Every morning I will pay tribute with the early day.
For your promises are sure; your compassions still endure.

Still the greatness of your love daily does my sins remove.
Daily, far as east from west, lifts the burden from the breast.
Gives unbought to those who pray, strength to stand in every day.

As the morning light returns, as the sun with splendor burns,
I will turn my eyes to Thee, Everblessed Trinity,
With my heart and hands to raise in unfailing prayer and praise.
Amen.

Proverbs: 21:2
"All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart."

Resources:
The Smell of Sin: And the Fresh Air of Grace
by Don Everts