Sun.’s Devo - Life!

Read: Ezekiel 37:1-38:23; James 1:19-2:17; Psalm 117:1-2; Proverbs 28:1
Israel’s remnant were like dead, dry bones laying in a valley. God asked Ezekiel if he thought these bones could come to life and Ezekiel said that only God knew the answer to that. God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones and tell them to hear the word of the Lord. He commanded breath to enter into them and tendons and flesh and breath to enter them. There was a noise and the earth shook as the bones came together to form people and tendons and flesh appeared. But they had no breath in them. Then he prophesied to the wind and it came from the four corners of the earth and filled the bodies and they came to life.
This was a picture of what God was going to do for Israel. They were scattered all over the world with no hope of ever being a nation again. God wanted to give them hope that they would once again have a life in their own land with their own people and he would once again be their God. They were like two sticks: Judah and Israel, but God was going to unite them as one nation.
Most scholars believe that Ezekiel 38 has to do with the end of times (vs. 8) and has not happened yet. It have always thought that this was a picture of the final battle of Armageddon. Gog is believed to be where Turkestan is now and Magog represents the Scythian nations and maybe some of India.
I love James and quote this first verse to myself many times: “…be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” It is easy to say, not so easy to do, but that is where true maturity comes in.
Purity means being able to hold your tongue, looking out for the fatherless and widows in their times of need and keeping unspotted from the world. God also warns us against showing any impartiality to people. We should treat everyone the same and love them all. The only way we can do this is with God’s grace. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
Lord, help us to walk with your heart.