Mon.’s Devo - By Faith

Read: Ezekiel 27:1-28:26; Hebrews 11:17-31; Psalm 111:1-10: Proverbs 27:15-16 God sent his message to Tyre in a funeral song. Tyre means “to distress”. Tyre had been the mighty gateway to the sea and the center of the trading world. It was international city decked in the finest the nations had to offer. God likens Tyre to a great ocean liner laden with wares from everywhere. Its leaders were the oarsmen that sailed her into the stormy sea. They wrecked her in the heart of the sea and lost everyone on board. The cites by the sea that saw her sink wept over her bitterly and mourned. They were appalled at her outcome. God said she would exist no more. *** A message was sent to the prince of Tyre. He was so filled with pride that he claimed himself to be a god. His wisdom made him rich and his riches made him proud. He thought he was wise as a god, but God would bring a foreign army upon them. They would defile his splendor and bring him down to the pit. He would die in the heart of the sea, pierced with many wounds. *** Another message was sent to the king of Tyre who was the embodiment of Lucifer. God takes us back to the Garden of Eden where we see how beautiful Lucifer was when God made him. God ordained and anointed him as the mighty angelic guardian. He had access to God’s holy mountain and walked among the stones of fire. He was blameless until evil was found in him. He, like Tyre was filled with pride because of his beauty. His wisdom was corrupted by his love of splendor. God threw him to the ground and exposed him in the eyes of other kings. He defiled his sanctuaries with his many sins and traded dishonestly. His own sins were heaped on top of him. All who knew him were appalled at his fate. He had come to a terrible end and would exist no more. *** Next, God gave a message against the city of Sidon. Sidon means “hunting”. God would send a plague against them and attack it from all sides. The people would lie slaughtered within their walls. Then everyone would know that God is the Lord of Lords. *** Of Israel, God said that she would again live in her own land. God would gather them from the distant lands where they had been scattered and bring them safely to Israel. They would once again build homes and plant vineyards. *** In Hebrews we continue looking at the Hall of Faith. Abraham had so much faith God would do what he promised, he was willing to give his son Isaac as a sacrifice to God. He fully believed that if God had to raise Isaac from the dead, he would just to fulfill his promise to him. Isaac passed down that blessing to Jacob and Esau. It was Jacob’s faith that allowed him to bless each of Joseph’s sons before he died. Joseph believed God, and by faith told his people to take his bones back to the land God had promised them. *** When the parents of Moses saw the anointing on Moses as a baby, they defied the king’s order and hid him. God honored that and Moses grew up in Pharoah’s household but never forgot his roots. He refused to be called the son of Pharoah’s daughter and chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead. Moses’ faith led him out of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He left Egypt with his eyes on the Lord. He commanded the people to keep the Passover and sprinkle the blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would to kill their firstborn sons. By faith, they marched right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But, when the Egyptians followed, they were drowned by the sea. *** It was faith that the people marched around Jericho and the walls fell down. And it was Rahab’s faith that saved her and her household from destruction. *** Lord, may it be said of us that it was by our faith that we endured the times we are in. May our faith bring glory to your name.