"There [in the wilderness] I gave them my decrees and regulations so they could find life by keeping them." emphasis mine
Ezekiel 20:11
Ezekiel 20:11
I almost missed it. Did you? The secret was tucked deep inside the replay of the Lord's compassion and favor to the Israelites. He gave the secret to life three times in chapter twenty. In order to have life all the Israelites had to do was obey. Sounds simple doesn't it?
The word life is the Hebrew chayay (khaw-yah'ee) and I love the translation. Life in our key verse means to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live forever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health. (Sounds eternal, doesn't it? Hmm?) The curious side of me had to find out what quickened meant. Oh, its good: to become alive, receive life. Take it in. You might need to reread the definition.
The word life is the Hebrew chayay (khaw-yah'ee) and I love the translation. Life in our key verse means to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live forever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health. (Sounds eternal, doesn't it? Hmm?) The curious side of me had to find out what quickened meant. Oh, its good: to become alive, receive life. Take it in. You might need to reread the definition.
The definition needs no explanation. The life the Israelites longed for as the made the bricks for Pharaoh could have found through obedience. As they cried out to be rescued, the Lord had already set the plan in motion and obedience was the key. I loved how the Lord gave them the key to life in the wilderness. It was as if He was saying, "I will give you the land of plenty but that is not where you will find life. You can have life, even in the wilderness. Life is found in me, in obeying me. No matter how wonderful your surroundings and pleasant your circumstances may become, they will not give you the life you need."
We can find the same life offered to the Israelites. After today's reading, we know the secret. Life is found through obedience. No matter how wonderful our surroundings and pleasant our circumstances the life we truly long for can only be found through obedience. Yes, all we have to do is obey. Sounds simple, doesn't it?
We can find the same life offered to the Israelites. After today's reading, we know the secret. Life is found through obedience. No matter how wonderful our surroundings and pleasant our circumstances the life we truly long for can only be found through obedience. Yes, all we have to do is obey. Sounds simple, doesn't it?
8 Comments:
SOUNDS simple, yes! But obedience seldom is simple, at least when our wills get involved. Your devo today is such a good reminder that we must must must die to self. I keep thinking about "to obey is better than sacrifice" and how often we would rather throw something easy at a problem instead of being obedient.
Thanks for the challenge today to surrender to what HE asks of us.
Love ya!
Charlie
Oh Wendy, the Hebrew translation opens up this verse! Thank you!
Verse 20:11 tells them what they need to do and in verse 16 we find out why they lose their freedom:
"For they had rejected my regulations, refused to follow my decrees, and violated my Sabbath days. Their hearts were given to their idols.
They did not conform to God's desires they conformed to those around them. They did not come under God's authority. They were not dutiful or submissive. They did not obey.
Help me Lord, to recognize what draws me away from Your presence. I long to be a daughter that obeys you with my whole heart. I want my thoughts, my actions, my words to Glorify You all of the time. I want to be filled with your Spirit so that I can love those around me, so that I can see them like You see them. Thank you for drawing me to You. There's no other place I'd rather be, but in Your presence. Amen.
Blessings dear sisters! Lori - AZ
Jodie, I'm excited for everything happening with your family! Looking forward to hearing the news of your new addition!
Another thought, :)
Today's devo from, Our Daily Bread, has a good ending:
"Over time I have learned to respect, and even long for, the future rewards Jesus has promised. —Philip Yancey
Let me go, for earth’s fond pleasures
Soon will vanish and decay;
But the soul has richer treasures
Shining bright as cloudless day. —Bucks
Dark trials will be rewarded by bright crowns."
I do believe, many of our "wants" are not really, "needs," but rather serve to draw us away from God. Oh, to truly long for the future rewards promised to us...
Lori - AZ
Obey is a four letter word. And to our sinful heart it is the most difficult thing we will ever do. Bending the knee to the One who longs to Give us LIFE. And not just life, but abundant life, pressed down, shaken together and running over are the words used in Luke 6:38. Can we even imagine the Life God wants for us if we would just bend the knee. Obey, it's one four letter word I'm putting in my vocabulary!
Ah yes, Obedience...subject to authority; willing to obey is a meaning I got from Webster's Dictionary. Willing to obey. There in lies the key as Wendy shared with us. God gave us a free will to choose life by obeying or choose separation by disobedience...sinful ways.
I judge there are times we choose to live life in disobedience, whether we are conscious of it at the time or not. We may fall in with the crowd or join in because everyone else is. I judge there are times I care too much about what others will think if I don't join in on something that may (temporarily) separate me from my
relationship with God. Something I may know silently that it is in disobedience to his regulations for real living. I thank God that He leaves a doorway open or unlocked, if you will, when I temorarily shut the door in hopes He doesn't see me disobey. But He does see...he is all knowing and seeing. His unconditional love for us is so awesome.
I will always love you, but sometimes I get awfully irritated with you. I judge it certainly captures our feeling as a parent of our own children. I have told my children that there is nothing that they could do that would take my love for them away. That doesn't mean I always agree with what they are doing, or that I won't be sad or angry for the choices they make. There were times when discipline/guidance was needed to bring them back to choose to follow the rules and regulations we had set up for our family to follow. But that is what a loving parent does...guides and disciplines when we choose to disobey. I judge God does the same with us when we choose to disobey the life he made for us.
I also meditated on vs. 12 "And I gave them my Sabbath days of rest as a sign between them and me. It was to remind them that I am the Lord, who had set them apart to be holy."
When I was growing up no stores or restaurants were open on Sundays, No sports were played locally. We went to SS and Church and went home for a big familly dinner. We then drove to my grandparents every Sunday to spend time with extended family. As much as I have grown accustomed to stores and restaurants being open on Sundays I do miss the days of just family time.
I also wonder if this change also led people to think less about who God is and that He set us apart to be holy...and obedient.
Obedience is a moment by moment consious choice of our will. I judge that life as we live gets in the way of His life-giving decrees and regulations.
Love Debbie from Illinois
Sounds like we need to apply the word:
John 15:5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other.
Debbie,
Everything is closed on Sunday in Switzerland (and I think most of Europe). It is a good thing! I don't miss things being open at all!
Raylene, thank you for posting those verses!
Jodie, praying for you!
Peace,
Karen
Oh, if only obedience was as easy as it sounds.
The verse that struck me this day was: “They sat down…to wait for his reply.” Ezekiel 20:1
The physical act of sitting down implies the expected answer will not be delivered in haste. I’m not standing here, expecting an immediate, quick reply. An answer will come, but it will most likely take time. I’m not moving until He speaks to me.
We live in a world today of instant response. Phone, e-mails, fax, texting, microwaves, drive-thru lines, courier companies that promise same day delivery, digital imaging, frozen prepared dinners, express check-out lines, Go-buses, even “Fast-Passes” at amusement parks…places that advertise rest and relaxation. We’re spinning and running faster and faster and the art of cultivating patience is completely lost.
Sitting down. Waiting on God’s reply. Does five minutes in silence before Him seem like an eternity?
Oh Lord, I want to enjoy the sitting…not so much for the reply…but because I’m sitting in Your presence…with You. Help me wait. When others criticize my waiting and don’t understand, give me courage to keep waiting. Your reply will come…and then I will stand and follow.
Lord, here I am.
Sitting down.
Prepared and purposed to wait.
Oh the pleasure of looking into Your face as You sit with me and enjoy my waiting on You. You will R.S.V.P. at the perfect time.
Waiting,
Joy
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