Mercy on the house of Israel
I will display my glory among the nations; and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them. The house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God, from that day forward. And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they dealt treacherously with me. So I hid my face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword. I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their transgressions, and hid my face from them.
Therefore thus says the Lord God: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for my holy name. They shall forget their shame, and all the treachery they have practiced against me, when they live securely in their land with no one to make them afraid, when I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from their enemies' lands, and through them have displayed my holiness in the sight of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God because I sent them into exile among the nations, and then gathered them into their own land. I will leave none of them behind; and I will never again hide my face from them, when I pour out my spirit upon the house of Israel, says the Lord God.
In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, the hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me there. He brought me, in visions of God, to the land of Israel, and set me down upon a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south. When he brought me there, a man was there, whose appearance shone like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring reed in his hand; and he was standing in the gateway. The man said to me, "Mortal, look closely and listen attentively, and set your mind upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you; declare all that you see to the house of Israel."
DEVOTION
How I love the mercy of God! It is from everlasting to everlasting and it is that which I depend on from day to day.
As a fallen human being, prone to sin and fall short of the glory of God, I know that the wages of sin are death. I know that when I do wrong, I deserve to be punished.
But, I am so glad that God always extends a hand of mercy to me when I ask for forgiveness. I am grateful that God is always faithful and just to forgive my sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.
Now, don't get me wrong! Sometimes I pay the natural consequences of my poor choices. God loves me enough to help me learn to do better. But, even as I experience those natural consequences, God holds me tight, and helps me to overcome the adversity that I've created for myself!
Indeed, God is the most outstanding parent of all and I am so glad that God loves us so much!
Let's pray: God, thank you for making provision for the forgiveness of our sin and eternal life in the death and resurrection of your son, Jesus the Christ! Thank you for your willingness to forgive my sin and fill me with the Holy Spirit. Thank you that Spirit leads me to share your good news with others. Please help me to be faithful to this ministry and calling. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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/JVhaLta
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