I Am The Lord!

SCRIPTURE

Ezekiel 29:1-12 (NRSV)

Prophecy against Pharaoh

In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt; speak, and say, Thus says the Lord God:
I am against you,
Pharaoh king of Egypt,
the great dragon sprawling
in the midst of its channels,
saying, "My Nile is my own;
I made it for myself."
I will put hooks in your jaws,
and make the fish of your channels stick to your scales.
I will draw you up from your channels,
with all the fish of your channels
sticking to your scales.
I will fling you into the wilderness,
you and all the fish of your channels;
you shall fall in the open field,
and not be gathered and buried.
To the animals of the earth and to the birds of the air
I have given you as food.
Then all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know
that I am the Lord
because you were a staff of reed
to the house of Israel;
when they grasped you with the hand, you broke,
and tore all their shoulders;
and when they leaned on you, you broke,
and made all their legs unsteady.

Therefore, thus says the Lord God: I will bring a sword upon you, and will cut off from you human being and animal; and the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.

Because you said, "The Nile is mine, and I made it," therefore, I am against you, and against your channels, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Ethiopia. No human foot shall pass through it, and no animal foot shall pass through it; it shall be uninhabited forty years. I will make the land of Egypt a desolation among desolated countries; and her cities shall be a desolation forty years among cities that are laid waste. I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and disperse them among the countries.

DEVOTION

Well! I think today’s scripture makes it very, very clear how God feels about people inappropriately exalting themselves and the work of their hands.

The accusation against Pharoah is that he had the nerve to say, “My Nile is my own; I made it for myself.”

Whoa Baby! God does not like that at all. God does not appreciate it when we claim God’s glory for ourselves. God does not like it when we perpetrate a fraud, pretending that all that we have we got by our own might and power.

Whether we are bragging on our good health, lucrative job, beautiful home, ingenious children, fine spouse, hefty 401(k), or any other thing—it offends God when we don’t take the time to give thanks and praise to God from whom all of our blessings flow!

This week we will celebrate Thanksgiving Day in the United States of America. But, we ought not to set aside only one day per year to say thank you to Creator God who gave us all good things! God is worthy of our thanks-praise 24/7/365.

After punishing Pharaoh for hijacking God’s glory, God said, “[Now] they shall know that I am the Lord.”

Oh yes! One way or another we will remember that God is Lord of All. As we share our good news testimonies with others bearing witness to the fact that “all good and perfect gifts come from God” we will find ourselves bragging ON GOD and not on ourselves!

Won’t you take a moment today to tell a friend how God is blessing you? Please pray with me:

Holy One, how great Thou Art! All that you have done, do, and will do is incredible! Your loving kindness and tender mercy toward us is amazing! You good gifts are so extravagant! I want to say thank you for everything, but especially for allowing your Love to give Jesus to die on the cross to save me from my sin and gift me with eternal life! Your generous gift can never be repaid, but with all that I am and ever hope to be, I surrender my whole life to you! Please forgive me of my sin and fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I can share your love, joy, and peace with everyone I meet. I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

THE INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html