Friday, September 5, 2014

Life-Giving Water. Ezekiel 19-20; John 3

May the mumbling commence!

Vines and other plant life grow best near a source of water.  What or who is our best source of life-giving water?  There is only one answer to that question.  Read from the end of Ezekiel chapter nineteen and the beginning of chapter twenty:

“'Your mother was like a vine 
             planted by the water's edge.
It had lush, green foliage because of the abundant water
Its branches became very strong, 
             strong enough to be a ruler's scepter.
It soon became very tall, towering above all the others.
It stood out because of its height 
             and because of its many lush branches
But the vine was uprooted in fury 
             and thrown down to the ground.
The desert wind dried up its fruit 
            and tore off its branches.
Its stem was destroyed by fire
Now the vine is growing in the wilderness,
where the ground is hard and dry
A fire has come from its branches and devoured its fruit.
None of the remaining limbs is strong enough 
             to be a ruler's scepter.'
This is a funeral song, and it is now time for the funeral." 
On August 14, during the seventh year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, some of the leaders of Israel came to request a message from the Lord. They sat down in front of me to wait for his reply.  Then this message came to me from the Lord:  "Son of man, give the leaders of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: How dare you come to ask for my help? As surely as I live, I will tell you nothing. This is the word of the Sovereign Lord
Son of man, bring judgment against them and condemn them. Make them realize how loathsome the actions of their ancestors really were.  Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: When I chose Israel and revealed myself to her in Egypt, I swore that I, the Lord, would be her God.  I promised that I would bring her and her descendants out of Egypt to a land I had discovered and explored for them – a good land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the best of all lands anywhere.  Then I said to them, 'Each of you, get rid of your idols. Do not defile yourselves with the Egyptian gods, for I am the Lord your God.' 
But they rebelled against me and would not listen. They did not get rid of their idols or forsake the gods of Egypt. Then I threatened to pour out my fury on them to satisfy my anger while they were still in Egypt. (19:10-20:8)

Our Lord God is the only trustworthy source of water for our lives.  Let’s go to the Lord and no one else!  And through Christ, may God forgive our sins.  Read a couple of verses from Jesus’ words to Nicodemus from John chapter three:

And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so I, the Son of Man, must be lifted up on a pole, so that everyone who believes in me will have eternal life. (Verses 14-15)

Jesus has been raised up for the forgiveness of our sins.  He took our sins up on the cross and paid the debt.  And God raised him back from the dead.  Jesus lives forevermore by the right hand of our Father in heaven.

Believe, follow and abide in Jesus.  There is no other source of life-giving water.

Enough mumbling for now…


Peace Out

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