Tues.’s Devo - By Faith…

Read: Ezekiel 24:1-26:21; Hebrews 11:1-16; Psalm 110:1-7; Proverbs 27:14 During the ninth year of King Jehoiachin’s, captivity, the tenth day of the tenth month, the Lord gave Ezekiel a message and told him him to date it. On this day the king of Babylon is beginning his attack against Jerusalem. He was to illustrate what was going to happen by filling a pot with choice pieces of meat and the most tender cuts and some water. He was to put it on the fire and bring it to a boil. He explained to them that the pot was them. The meat in it were the people they had murdered. Then, he was to take the meat out and splash the water on the rocks to show that her sins were about to be exposed. Next, he was to cook the empty pot until it was red hot to burn away the filth and corruption. But, it would not be cleansed, because they had refused to repent of their sins and could not be cleansed. *** God would have no pity on them. To show this, God told Ezekiel, He would take away Ezekiel’s dearest treasure and he must not show any outward grief. He told the people this and that evening, his wife died. This was a picture to the people that God was going to take away their greatest treasure which was the Temple. With it God would take away their sons and daughters and they will know that he is the Lord. *** God spoke a word to the land of Ammon because they rejoiced when Jerusalem fell. Nomads would come from he east and overrun their country. They would take their harvest and all their livelihood. They would no longer be a nation. *** God spoke to Moab and accused them of being just like all the other nations. They would be handed over to the same nomads the Ammonites were and would no longer be a nation. *** The people of Edom had repeatedly fought against the people of Judah, so God would wipe out their people and make their land a wasteland. *** The people of Philistia took bitter revenge on Judah, so the Lord would wipe them out and destroy them. *** During the first day of the 11th month of the 12th year of Jehoiachin’s captivity God have Ezekiel a message for Tyre. They had rejoiced when Jerusalem fell, thinking they would get rich with the trade that usually came to Jerusalem. God would bring many nations against her and they would destroy her walls and tear down her towers. She would end up being a rock for fishermen to lay their nets. *** God would bring Nebuchadnezzar against Tyre to destroy her and plunder her riches. It will send out a ripple of fear to the other kings along the coastline. Tyre would be sent to the pit never to be found again. *** Today in Hebrews we begin to read the “faith chapter”. The definition of faith is hoping for something we can’t see ,as if it has already manifested. Faith, gave the people in the Old Testament favor and honor. We were not there when God spoke the world into existence, but we believe it happened, by faith, because the Bible tells us it happened that way. Abel gave his offering to the Lord with the faith that he could please God through it. *** God took Enoch and he bypassed death because he pleased God and it is impossible to please God without faith. Noah built a boat in the wilderness by faith. His faith in God, condemned the world and saved his family. *** Abraham’s faith called him to leave home and go to a land he had never been and live there in tents. He had a promise from God to a city that God had built for him. His children Isaac and his son, Jacob inherited the same promise. *** Abraham’s wife, Sarah was old and barren but she believed the promise God gave Abraham that a nation would come from him. *** All of them believed unto death and never saw the promise given them, but they believed it would eventually come. They could have returned home, but they continued to look for the heavenly homeland God had prepared for them. God was proud to be called their God and he did prepare a city for them, and they will inherit it. *** Lord, may our faith in You bring you great pleasure and joy. We trust in your deliverance and great blessings. We believe you have great plans for our future and the future of our nation and the nations of the world. May your people find hope and rest in your promises.