Ezekiel37
Ezekiel37
Honor is the lost virtue of the new generations, to whom a total lack of respect for authority has been promoted. But, for Christians, honor must be a condition of the heart. We should not honor people because they necessarily deserve it, but because we want to be the honorable ones. It is difficult to read the Bible without being exposed to a culture with levels of honor and authority. First, we must honor God, then our assignment, and then our family, our parents, our children, our authorities, and even our enemies. A challenging message!
As Christians we have a message of grace that changes and saves lives; however, some of us continuously try to avoid any contact with sinners. We can’t bring people to Jesus if we don’t share our life with them. We have to be like sheep that dance in the midst of wolves, knowing there is no more motivating force than that of love; that is why we must act with grace and compassion towards others. True compassion always demands action. If you do not love, you will always say: “Here I am, send him”; but when our hearts are full of grace, what breaks the heart of Jesus, breaks ours. A challenging message!
Let’s not forget that our best mantle of love comes from God. His love always covers us despite our failures and setbacks. And just as He protects us, He presents us with opportunities to give love every day. We have to learn to see our world as a museum of divine treasures. Some of those treasures live in our own house; others cross our path in our daily lives… and not all of them will think like us. So, when interacting with people, let us not allow class, race, gender, politics, or culture hinder the work of our Creator; on the contrary, let our goal be to demolish the barricades that keep the children of God separated from each other.
Joshua could not conquer any other city until he removed Achan, “the rotten apple,” from his army. Achan, who did not trust the Divine Providence and so dishonored the Lord by keeping part of the treasure of the conquered land for himself. God highly values our trust. He does not ask for it, does not suggest it or recommend it; He demands it. And managing our finances is a way of letting God know that we trust Him, and that He comes first in our lives. This is what tithing or offerings are all about; giving God the honor and thanks for everything we have. It is not about percentages, but about priorities. Giving first to God in all areas of life, makes the rest be blessed.
If you feel that the windows of heaven are not open on you and things are not going your way, perhaps the adverse circumstances in your life are the result of bad choices you have made. When you obey God, He always provides what He demands, otherwise, you bear the expenses. If like Jonah, you spend your days sitting under a dry tree throwing a tantrum, judging broken people and angry at God’s infinite grace, you will end up paying dearly your way back to Nineveh. Today you must learn to listen to His voice so you can free yourself from the algae tangled in your hair and celebrate the souls that draw near to the Lord in times of storm, even when the orchestra continues to play on the Titanic.
When we confuse our desires with “the calling,” we are doomed to fatigue, discouragement, loss of joy, and a feeling of inadequacy. We know we are doing something stupid, but we disguise it as “God told me”, or “God called me”. We look in the mirror, we see a beautiful suit and we think that we are ready to fulfill our dream. This happened to Joseph, who, although he wore Prada, did not have the character to sustain the blessing. Only when he understood what life was like without the tunic, Joseph was able to fulfill his dream, reach the prophecy and reach the throne. The moment he recovered his relationship with his father, he recovered everything lost!
There are suitcases that we unnecessarily carry through our life: suitcases of guilt, anxiety, doubts and worry, which cause us to feel tired, hurt, disappointed and bitter. Consequently, we live with a permanent feeling of anxiety and fear, and end up throwing stones instead of casting the net, holding accusing fingers instead of extending helping hands, hurting those that try to help instead of helping those who suffer. That is why it is important to let the Lord -like the shepherd who leads his sheep to the spring-, lead us to resting waters to feast on new grass, forget about the flies and drink plenty of water to feed our spirit. Even when our time go home to the Lord is near!
It is easy to believe in God on sunny days when everything is going well; But in the winter, on those cloudy days when the icy winds hit us, it’s hard to keep the faith. Whatever it is that weighs you down today (a long illness, the bankruptcy of your business, suffering in the family, an inexplicable depression, the terrible loss of a loved one) pause for a moment and hear the words that the Creator is whispering in your ear: «Do not be anxious. I have seen you. I heard you. Trust me. Believes in me. I know what you are going through and I care about you». Remember that God is in charge and, like Job, learn to let God be God and to leave your life in His hands.
Jesus chose us, human beings full of defects and with hearts as feeble as sand, to spread the good news around the world. Instead of crushing evil with His divine force, instead of imposing justice by destroying the unjust, rather than establishing peace through ‘perfectly’ ruled nations, the Lord chose to trust broken people to share His teachings. We are “the Jesus left behind” after the ascension, we are the heirs of the Spirit of God. “Therefore -said Paul, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, dress yourselves with warm affection and kindness, humility, goodness and patience.” Let us remember that we are letters read by all men and we should love one another because only love may produce a response of love.
The Bible is full of closed-door and open-door stories: the Eden was closed to Adam and Eve; the Promised Land was closed to Moses, the door to the ark was closed to all shortly before the flood. Similarly, in our lives we are going to run into both kind of doors and we have to understand when God opens a door and when He is the one who closes it. We must understand that some of the best prayers might be the ones that were denied and never opened a door for us… even though when facing a closed door we were feeling anger and frustration. Let us remember that even on the Cross, God’s ‘No’ to his Son became God’s ‘Yes’ to humanity.
f you are not where you want to be, why do you keep making decisions that keep you there? Too often do we want God to create a new path for us, but we refuse to allow Him to take away everything that is old. If we are not careful with our decisions then our future will simply be an extension of our past, returning to slavery again and again like Israel did when they left Egypt. Nevertheless, your situation is reversible. Your life may be greater than it is now if you set fire to your past, if you burn your ships as Cortés did when he reached the shores of the new world. Remember: by burning the ships, you make room in your life for the future that the Lord wants to give you.
Although today you may feel captive and victim of circumstances, remember that not all is lost, there is always a time, however small, when you have a choice. Remember when -despite having lost everything- Daniel in Babylon made a small decision and as a result kept his dignity and obtained a purple outfit symbol of freedom and royalty. Like Daniel, we can always choose. Never give up your spirit. Never give in emotionally. If you decide in your heart to honor God by making decisions that do not violate your convictions and are an example of Christian living, the Lord will participate in your life in ways you cannot imagine and He will place a purple cloak over your shoulders.
Through the Scriptures, Jesus introduces us to a God who does not demand, but provides; that does not oppress, but lifts up; that does not hurt, but heals. A God who forgives instead of condemning and who delivers us instead of punishing us. A God who seeks and feels joy when he finds the one who was lost. A God who does not wait until our moral life is in order, so He can give us His unconditional love. That is why, if you feel unworthy, broken, or lost, you should put your burden on the ground and build your life on the foundation of God’s love … and His love will set you free. Remember that Jesus loves those who need him most, and always put their trust and faith in Him
Jesus was capable of loving human beings, because he loved them despite their layers of mud. He did not identify people with their sins, but freed them of their transgressions to restore their true personality, sharing with them the pride and joy of God for all his creatures. Today, all of us in the church need “grace-healed eyes” to see the potential in others with the same grace that the Lord has poured out on us. As Christians we are called to extend His mercy to all; to be grace givers and not avoiders of ‘impure’ people for fear of contagion.