February 1: Ezekiel 26 1-6

Key Verse: Ezekiel 26 3
therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea casting up its waves.

Devotion:
January is finally over – who else think January lasts far too long after all the goings on over Christmas and New Year? Today is the start of a new month and one of the references to the start of a new month is these verses from Ezekiel 26. Now there is some debate as to whether this references the correct month for us, but I’m going to take this one as happening during the 11th month of their calendar which is roughly January/February for us!

Tyre had declared the strongholds of Jerusalem as being broken down and they were free to walk into Jerusalem. But what they had not counted on is God’s promise to look after Jerusalem. Ezekiel received words from God to say Tyre was about to face all manner of problems because of them trying to fight Jerusalem – God’s city!

We have a promise God is going to watch over us and we need to be reminded by verses like these about how God continues to keep His promises even when we go astray or do things which do upset Him. God is faithful to keep those promises He has made to us and will make sure we are never taken from Him… but, as we see here, there may well be times when we face all manner of worldly things or people working against us – times when we are going to feel left out, run down, unprotected or beaten down. It is during those time we need to remember the promises of God and trust fully in them.

I know facing the end of January and beginning of a new month is nothing like having to face what the people in Jerusalem may have been facing, but it is not always about the things we see but those unseen problems we face. Our problems are not always on full view for everyone to see because we hide them and try to carry on regardless. We must understand God is with us in Christ and The Holy Spirit every day of our lives! We must understand He has promised to keep us and we need to depend fully on that promise! Don’t worry what is going to happen to those who work against us but focus on God instead.

Points to Ponder:
Have you been facing a rough month?

Will you stand up and remember the promises of God?