Today I am thankful for: hearing my daughter beg me for her schoolwork, both kiddos eating great at their meal times, how well my babies play with other kiddos they don't know, watching Madi at dance, they way Darrin's imagination is growing and growing in his playtime, being able to talk to my mom, knowing God hears my prayers and answers them, being able to keep in touch with my hubby throughout the day, the men who've gone to visit my dad and pray with him.
Tonight I read Ezekiel 16 and was really struck by the imagery used to describe God's relationship with Israel. Israel is depicted as an unwanted baby girl tossed into a field to die of exposure, her umbilical cord still attached and not even cleaned from birth. She was so despised by her parents she was immediately discarded! But God came along and rescued her and caused her to thrive; as she grew she became very beautiful. Later they are joined in a covenant like marriage and He bathed her and anointed her and adorned her from head to foot in fine linen, sandals, and jewels; she is described as "exceedingly beautiful" and her fame spread out to other nations "for [your beauty] was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you" (Ezekiel 16:14).
We are nothing without God! We are weak and helpless, dirty and without hope. God is there waiting--He sees us!--and He wants to clean us up and breathe life into us; He wants us to thrive and become exceedingly beautiful! What do we need to do to earn a love like that? Nothing! We need to accept that He loves us and pledge our love to Him in return--that's all! But there's more...
"But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it." (Ezekiel 16:15) How often do we go through a period of blessing and forget that our blessings are not our own but from our Lord? We begin to relax and think we are invincible; we begin to fall into sinful habits that are ultimately destructive to ourselves and our relationships with others. We give into our own wantonness and become consumed with self-gratification and selfishness. There is really no particular reason why we walk away from God; He hasn't done anything to cause it. The fault lies entirely with us. Israel began to form alliances with other countries for protection when God had promised her everything--she had no need of protection or goods from others for He had provided in abundance. She was simply choosing to disobey God's law.
When we begin to trust in ourselves and turn away from God, we may feel as though things are under control and we aren't doing anything wrong. But before long, we begin to feel that separation from God; an emptiness grows and we look for things to fill it with. Ezekiel 16:32 "You are an adulterous wife who takes strangers instead of her husband." Because we do not feel close to God we may feel ashamed and hide from Him; we continue to justify our actions and venture further down a lonely, rocky path. We make ourselves vulnerable to others, to our chosen vices. All of a sudden we realize we are out of control, at the mercy of whatever comes our way. We lack the strength to fend off attacks; we are broken and humiliated. Israel was invaded and attacked by those she sought alliances with, those who had traded with her and promised to protect her.
According to old testament law, adultery was punishable by stoning. An unfaithful wife deserved to be humiliated, degraded in public and stoned to death for breaking her covenant with her husband. We suffer the consequences of our actions. God is holy and righteous, yet He loves us unconditionally. That doesn't mean we aren't ever punished; Proverbs 3:11-12 says "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; For whom the Lord loves, he corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights." Israel broke it's covenant with God and forsook Him over and over and over again. God was justifiably angry with His people and brought punishment on Israel for its sin, but He also yearned for them to see the folly of their ways and return to Him. When they did, He forgot the past and poured out His blessing upon them once more. Ezekiel 16:60 "Nevertheless I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish and everlasting covenant with you."
How many spouses are able to move through the anger and hurt to a place where they can extend grace to the partner that committed adultery? How many marriages reconcile and seek healing after a breach of vows? How many people can look past the pain to the One who can bring healing and learn to forgive? We are so stubborn and prideful! If we can just get over ourselves and see that it isn't about "us" we see that our Creator, our Savior us standing there with arms wide open waiting to take us back! He wants to be with us! He isn't waiting to rub our noses in our messes. He isn't going to throw our mistakes in our faces every so often just to shame us into being faithful to Him. He pours His grace over us and lavishes us with love causing our dirty, broken selves to be whole and beautiful once more. He wants our eyes to look forward with hope and trust, not backward with guilt and shame.
I'm currently reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan--and I highly recommend it, even though I'm not even halfway through. As I read earlier tonight the following passage really hit home with me:
Tonight I read Ezekiel 16 and was really struck by the imagery used to describe God's relationship with Israel. Israel is depicted as an unwanted baby girl tossed into a field to die of exposure, her umbilical cord still attached and not even cleaned from birth. She was so despised by her parents she was immediately discarded! But God came along and rescued her and caused her to thrive; as she grew she became very beautiful. Later they are joined in a covenant like marriage and He bathed her and anointed her and adorned her from head to foot in fine linen, sandals, and jewels; she is described as "exceedingly beautiful" and her fame spread out to other nations "for [your beauty] was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you" (Ezekiel 16:14).
We are nothing without God! We are weak and helpless, dirty and without hope. God is there waiting--He sees us!--and He wants to clean us up and breathe life into us; He wants us to thrive and become exceedingly beautiful! What do we need to do to earn a love like that? Nothing! We need to accept that He loves us and pledge our love to Him in return--that's all! But there's more...
"But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it." (Ezekiel 16:15) How often do we go through a period of blessing and forget that our blessings are not our own but from our Lord? We begin to relax and think we are invincible; we begin to fall into sinful habits that are ultimately destructive to ourselves and our relationships with others. We give into our own wantonness and become consumed with self-gratification and selfishness. There is really no particular reason why we walk away from God; He hasn't done anything to cause it. The fault lies entirely with us. Israel began to form alliances with other countries for protection when God had promised her everything--she had no need of protection or goods from others for He had provided in abundance. She was simply choosing to disobey God's law.
When we begin to trust in ourselves and turn away from God, we may feel as though things are under control and we aren't doing anything wrong. But before long, we begin to feel that separation from God; an emptiness grows and we look for things to fill it with. Ezekiel 16:32 "You are an adulterous wife who takes strangers instead of her husband." Because we do not feel close to God we may feel ashamed and hide from Him; we continue to justify our actions and venture further down a lonely, rocky path. We make ourselves vulnerable to others, to our chosen vices. All of a sudden we realize we are out of control, at the mercy of whatever comes our way. We lack the strength to fend off attacks; we are broken and humiliated. Israel was invaded and attacked by those she sought alliances with, those who had traded with her and promised to protect her.
According to old testament law, adultery was punishable by stoning. An unfaithful wife deserved to be humiliated, degraded in public and stoned to death for breaking her covenant with her husband. We suffer the consequences of our actions. God is holy and righteous, yet He loves us unconditionally. That doesn't mean we aren't ever punished; Proverbs 3:11-12 says "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; For whom the Lord loves, he corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights." Israel broke it's covenant with God and forsook Him over and over and over again. God was justifiably angry with His people and brought punishment on Israel for its sin, but He also yearned for them to see the folly of their ways and return to Him. When they did, He forgot the past and poured out His blessing upon them once more. Ezekiel 16:60 "Nevertheless I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish and everlasting covenant with you."
How many spouses are able to move through the anger and hurt to a place where they can extend grace to the partner that committed adultery? How many marriages reconcile and seek healing after a breach of vows? How many people can look past the pain to the One who can bring healing and learn to forgive? We are so stubborn and prideful! If we can just get over ourselves and see that it isn't about "us" we see that our Creator, our Savior us standing there with arms wide open waiting to take us back! He wants to be with us! He isn't waiting to rub our noses in our messes. He isn't going to throw our mistakes in our faces every so often just to shame us into being faithful to Him. He pours His grace over us and lavishes us with love causing our dirty, broken selves to be whole and beautiful once more. He wants our eyes to look forward with hope and trust, not backward with guilt and shame.
I'm currently reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan--and I highly recommend it, even though I'm not even halfway through. As I read earlier tonight the following passage really hit home with me:
A Strange Inheritance
The very fact that a holy, eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful, merciful, fair, and just God loves you and me is nothing short of astonishing.
The wildest part is that Jesus doesn't have to love us. His being is utterly complete and perfect, apart from humanity. He doesn't need me or you. Yet He wants us, chooses us, even considers us His inheritance (Eph. 1:18). The greatest knowledge we can ever have is knowing God treasures us.
That really is amazing beyond description. The holy Creator sees you as His "glorious inheritance."
The irony is that while God doesn't need us but still wants us, we desperately need God but don't really want Him most of the time. He treasures us and anticipates our departure from this earth to be with Him--and we wonder, indifferently, how much we have to do for Him to get by.
God's greatest gift to us was His Son, Jesus. His second greatest gift is His very word, the Bible. If we are honest and read through it, it's nearly impossible to ignore the goodness and faithfulness of our loving God. If we keep our minds and hearts open to His words, we'll find He's speaking directly to us telling us time and again that it doesn't matter how much we mess up; He created us and loves us and wants us to be with Him. He sent His son to bear the weight of our sins because our human frailty could never be subjected to the punishment we are due. He loves us that much!! We are adulterous wives, deserving of degradation and death, and yet He wants to clean us up, build us up, and continue with us in an everlasting covenant. Where else are we going to find a love like that?
Father, thank You for loving me! Thank You for being my Rock, for standing firm when I'm caught up in the tide. It is so amazing that You love me despite my faults and weaknesses. You know me better than even I do for You formed me and knew me even before conception. You knew my mistakes before I made them, and yet you brought me life and loved me anyway. Help me to see myself through Your eyes so that I might see my value and yearn to please You and never hide myself from You. Thank You for correcting me when I begin to go astray so that I remember to look back and see You and run to You. Thank You for wanting me whole and unhurt, and thank You for healing me when I return to You with the wounds of my shame. You are my love, my light, my hope. I praise You and hope that I never am able to give You 100% of me only because my capacity to love continues to grow and I never reach my limit, though I strive to continually with all my might. Help me to glorify You in all that I do! I love You!
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