Skip to main content

Four Hopeful Words


             It would have been easy for God’s people to be upset with their circumstances.   The Babylonians had captured Jerusalem and deported most of its people to a strange land more than 500 miles from home.  Fortunately, God had not forgotten about them, so he sends his prophet Ezekiel with a message of consolation and hope.  One of the most encouraging parts of his message comes when he is given a vision of the new temple in Jerusalem.  The temple was of great importance to the Israelites, because it was the earthly dwelling place of God.  A rebuilt temple in a rebuilt Jerusalem was almost too much to hope for.

           Ezekiel’s description of what he saw goes from chapter forty all the way to chapter forty-eight and encompasses two hundred and six verses.  He describes, in great detail, the size of the temple and its courts.  He talks about the location of the rooms for the Priests and the Levites.  He tells them how they are to divide the land when they get home.  He talks about things like gates, walls, towers and altars.  Every last detail of his vision seems to be recorded in these eight chapters.

            One detail is better than the rest, though.  The last line of the entire book says, “And the name of the city from that time on will be: ‘The Lord is there’ (Ezekiel 48:35). 

            I don’t know about you, but to me, that is the best ending ever.  Every other detail in Ezekiel’s description pales in comparison to this one.  He could describe the most beautiful place (which he does), or the most rundown house and as long as “The Lord is there” is over it, then it would be ok.  That is the thing that makes it special and worthy of praise.

            I could not help but apply that same test to my life.  Lots of times I think that my life will be a success if I have certain things, or if I get to experience certain things.  What if the real test of my life is not “What do you have?” or “What have you done?” but rather “Is God in it?”

            At the end of time, that is going to be the big question.  When all this other stuff is left behind, all we will have is our relationship with God, his Son and his Spirit.  If that needs to be a priority at the end of time, then I need to make it a priority in my life now.

            “The Lord is there”.  Four of the most hopeful words that you will ever hear.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Consider This: Who Needs Worship?

  Why does God need our worship? The events of Matthew 14 provide at least one answer.   This chapter starts with the beheading of John the Baptist (verses 1-12). This is the first in a series of events that indicate things are about to become much more difficult for the believers. Next, the scene shifts to a crowd gathered on a hillside in Galilee. After listening to Jesus teach all day, the apostles realized that these people had nothing to eat. They brought the problem to Jesus. He took a child’s lunch and fed the entire group of five thousand men plus women and children. Afterwards, they picked up twelve baskets of leftovers (verses 13-21).   Then Jesus told them to get in a boat and cross the Sea of Galilee. As they went, a storm arose, and the apostles were scared. They struggled along until Jesus came to them walking on the water. Peter tried walking on the water too and sank. After Jesus rescued Peter, they got into the boat, and the storm immediately s...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Spiritual Makeover (1 Peter 1:13-16)

 Three responses to the new life God has given us.  https://youtu.be/FmqX5-3jOKc  
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This: The Danger of Drifting

   Consider This: The Danger of Drifting Most people will not blow up their life in one big, messy moment. It can happen, and when it does, the damage is obvious and instantaneous. Like a car wreck at an intersection, people make a bad decision, and chaos ensues. Parts and pieces scatter all over. People get hurt. Situations like this are unexpected, loud, shocking and scary. Most of us will not wreck our lives in one big, terrible moment. The real danger is that we will lose what is valuable in small, almost imperceptible steps. It happens all the time. You can leave your marriage without ever leaving your house. You can leave your faith while still attending church. You can leave your life while you are still living it. Many people lose what they love, not by making one big, out-of-character decision, but by coasting, disengaging, neglecting and missing what matters. Almost every Biblical list of Christian characteristics mentions “Self-control”, yet I have not g...
Post a Comment
Read more