SCRIPTURE
Ezekiel 37:15-28 (NRSV)
The word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, take a stick and write on it, "For Judah, and the Israelites associated with it"; then take another stick and write on it, "For Joseph (the stick of Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with it"; and join them together into one stick, so that they may become one in your hand. And when your people say to you, "Will you not show us what you mean by these?" say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am about to take the stick of Joseph (which is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with it; and I will put the stick of Judah upon it, and make them one stick, in order that they may be one in my hand. When the sticks on which you write are in your hand before their eyes, then say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from every quarter, and bring them to their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms. They shall never again defile themselves with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions. I will save them from all the apostasies into which they have fallen, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
My servant David shall be king over them; and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall follow my ordinances and be careful to observe my statutes. They shall live in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, in which your ancestors lived; they and their children and their children's children shall live there forever; and my servant David shall be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will bless them and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary among them forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Then the nations shall know that I the Lord sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary is among them forevermore.
DEVOTION
Today's blog reminds me that some of the promises in the Bible are for the "now and the not yet now."
I am so glad that God has united God's people, that we have one Shepherd, and that God has "saved us from all of the apostasies into which we have fallen, cleansing us, and making us, God's people."
All of these wondrous deeds were accomplished in the life, death, and glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ, who set us free from the power of sin, death, and the grave and opened up the door to our eternal life with God.
Hallelujah!
I am also glad that we have the promise of eternal peace with God and with one another, as well as the blessed assurance that it is God's intention to "make God's dwelling place amongst us."
Although we have not yet reached a state of perfected peace on the Earth, we know that it is coming. And although the new heaven and the new earth has not yet emerged, with God living amongst us; we know that in due season it will appear.
As Christians we live in the "now and the not yet now." Now, we experience unity. Now, we experience peace. Now, we experience the presence of God.
But, when the fullness of time is come and we enter our eternal home, we will experience the fullness and perfection of unbroken unity, peace, and presence with God.
What a glad and glorious day that will be!
Let us pray:
Hallelujah Lord! For your promises are "Yay and Amen." I am filled with such excitement as I live into your promises day by day. Please help me to live in such a way that I bear witness to the good news that Jesus saves and He saves to the utmost! Help me to proclaim that you are the giver of love, joy, and peace and help me to share your love with others. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
INVITATION
If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @ http://bit.ly/JVhaL
SPECIAL NOTE
Happy Birthday to my sister, Adrienne! May God continue to richly bless you now and always!
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