Monday 29 Jun 2020

June 29: Ezekiel 34:11-16

Key Verse: Ezekiel 34:16
I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.

Devotion:
In the Western world we have all seen the results of people rejecting bad authority, fighting for justice and generally doing things their own way; there is a whole lot of chaos, disruption and even danger for the people involved just because they got carried away with their own thoughts and wants instead of sticking to the way of justice. Now I am not saying we need to obey our governments words if they are wrong, and believe me we have seen our fair share of governmental blunders this year… We need to strive toward real justice and real authority.

God continues to keep His promises! We read about some of those promises given to the prophets of old and I am personally amazed at how these continue to come true no matter what we get up to in our minds and hearts. Christ promised to be our Good Shepherd and we have seen how He can do this when people listen to His instructions. Sheep will listen to the shepherd because they have learned that is where the safety is… mankind doesn’t seem to get that!

In this passage our Lord promises to look for us in all the wrong places we get into, to rescue us from those dark times, deep pits and general confusion. He promises to watch over us and keep us safe. He promises to give us rest and a richer experience if we follow Him, just as sheep would follow a shepherd.

One of the aspects we often look over are the snippets we can draw from these prophets as they interpreted the word of God for us. One thing which caught my eye was how we are promised our own land, just as God delivered the Israelites into a new land, we too are promised a new land where we will be able to live in true justice and peace. I look forward to that day; in the mean time we work toward that goal!

Points to Ponder:
Do you expects things to be done for you?

Or will you work hard to help the Shepherd?