Thurs.’s Devo - For God’s Name

Read: Ezekiel 35:1-36:38; James 1:1-18; Psalm 116:1-19; Proverbs 27:23-27 God told Ezekiel to prophecy against the people of Mt. Seir. These were the descendants of Esau, the son of Isaac who despised his birthright and lost his blessing to his brother Jacob. Seir represents all the people who were enemies of God and his people everywhere throughout the ages. Their eternal hatred for God’s people led them to butcher them when they were helpless and God had already punished them of their sins. God would make them desolate forever and their cities would never be rebuilt Then Ezekiel was told to prophesy to the mountains of Israel which would represent the leaders of Israel. They had been taken by surrounding nations but God would bring shame to those nations that took them. The mountains of Israel would once again be Israel’s. They would be prosperous. Their people would grow and their ruined cities would be rebuilt and be filled with people. The people said of Israel that she was a nation that devoured their own people and robbed them of their children but they would not be mocked again. They had defiled their own land by the evil way they had lived. They polluted it with murder and the worship of idols. God scattered them to other nations because the shamed his holy name. God would bring them back, not because they deserved it but because of his own name. God promised to wash their sins away and give them a new heart and put a new spirit in them. They will want to follow my decrees and obey my regulations. They will repopulate and one day be like the Garden of Eden. All the nations will know that this is the Lord that did this. James was the brother of Jesus who didn’t become a believer until Jesus died. He became a bishop in the church in Jerusalem. He wrote to all the churches this letter that became the book of James. He was martyred a year after he wrote this at Passover, 69 years to the date of when Jesus died. He was taken to the pinnacle of the Temple and questioned for this faith then thrown off the Temple roof and stoned by the Pharisees. So when he tells us to endure trials, he was putting his life on it. James tells us to count our trials as joy because they are a test to produce patience in us. If we lack wisdom all we have to do is ask for it from God. He will liberally give it to us. Our faith needs to be strong and unwavering and we need to rejoice in where God puts us in life. Life is fleeting but our faith is eternal. James explained that they were Christ’s first fruits because they were the first followers of Him. As followers and examples of Christ they were to hear the truth and live it. They were to examine their own souls and allow the Holy Spirit to cleanse their thoughts and their speech. They were to help the orphans and widows and keep themselves unspotted from the world. Lord, help us to be like James who finished strong and counted his life as an offering to the Lord and whose reward awaited him in heaven. May we live for eternity. May we bring honor to your name.