First Place

SCRIPTURE

Ezekiel 20:18-32 (NRSV)

Israel become like the nations

I said to their children in the wilderness, Do not follow the statutes of your parents, nor observe their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols. I the Lord am your God; follow my statutes, and be careful to observe my ordinances, and hallow my sabbaths that they may be a sign between me and you, so that you may know that I the Lord am your God. But the children rebelled against me; they did not follow my statutes, and were not careful to observe my ordinances, by whose observance everyone shall live; they profaned my sabbaths.

Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness. But I withheld my hand, and acted for the sake of my name, so that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries, because they had not executed my ordinances, but had rejected my statutes and profaned my sabbaths, and their eyes were set on their ancestors' idols. Moreover I gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live. I defiled them through their very gifts, in their offering up all their firstborn, in order that I might horrify them, so that they might know that I am the Lord.

Therefore, mortal, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: In this again your ancestors blasphemed me, by dealing treacherously with me. For when I had brought them into the land that I swore to give them, then wherever they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices and presented the provocation of their offering; there they sent up their pleasing odors, and there they poured out their drink offerings. (I said to them, What is the high place to which you go? So it is called Bamah to this day.) Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your ancestors and go astray after their detestable things? When you offer your gifts and make your children pass through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be consulted by you, O house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord God, I will not be consulted by you.

What is in your mind shall never happen - the thought, "Let us be like the nations, like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and stone."


DEVOTION

It may seem strange to us to imagine that people made idols out of wood and stone. In our self-righteousness we may say, "I would never do anything like that! How could they!"

But, it occurs to me that if we are honest with ourselves, we would admit that we can relate to this statement--even in 2010.

For example, do we make idols out of paper (e.g., money)? Do we make idols out of steel (e.g., cars)? Do we make idols out of bricks (e.g., our homes)? Do we make idols out of cows (e.g., leather hand bag)?

I could go on and on, but I think we get the point.

An idol is ANYTHING that you love and/or prioritize more than God. An idol is any person, place, or thing that holds first place in your heart.

This is why I believe that most of us could probably admit that at one time or another we have bowed down before false gods, choosing to serve "the made" instead of The Maker.

Today, I want us to take stock of our lives and ferret out anything that we love more than Almighty God. Then I hope we will be able to offer that thing to God with repentance in our hearts, trusting that God is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.

God has been gracious and merciful toward us, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love! We are so blessed by God's Unconditional Love that gave Jesus to die on the cross to forgive us of our sin and gift us with eternal life--NO STRINGS ATTACHED.

Let us live into this most gracious inheritance by sharing the good news and living into love, joy, and peace everywhere that we go!

There is NO-thing--and no one--more important than God, who first loved us! Let us fix our eyes steadfastly upon Him who has never let us down! Amen!


Let us pray: Oh God! I confess my sin to you this day. I have bowed down to false and man-made idols. Today, I give you first place in my life and my heart. Please help me to dedicate my whole life to declaring your praise. 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/JVhaLta

For the Sake of My Name...

SCRIPTURE

Ezekiel 20:1-17 (NRSV)

The people profaned the sabbath

In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, certain elders of Israel came to consult the Lord, and sat down before me. And the word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, speak to the elders of Israel, and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Why are you coming? To consult me? As I live, says the Lord God, I will not be consulted by you. Will you judge them, mortal, will you judge them? Then let them know the abominations of their ancestors, and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: On the day when I chose Israel, I swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob - making myself known to them in the land of Egypt - I swore to them, saying, I am the Lord your God. On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands. And I said to them, Cast away the detestable things your eyes feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God. But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; not one of them cast away the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.

Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt. So I led them out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. I gave them my statutes and showed them my ordinances, by whose observance everyone shall live. Moreover I gave them my sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, so that they might know that I the Lord sanctify them. But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not observe my statutes but rejected my ordinances, by whose observance everyone shall live; and my sabbaths they greatly profaned.

Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them in the wilderness, to make an end of them. But I acted for the sake of my name, so that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I had brought them out. Moreover I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land that I had given them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most glorious of all lands, because they rejected my ordinances and did not observe my statutes, and profaned my sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. Nevertheless my eye spared them, and I did not destroy them or make an end of them in the wilderness.


DEVOTION

I am struck by the repeated refrain, "But I acted for the sake of my name..."

Over and over God declares that he rescued and pardoned his people, "for the sake of his name."

It is not hard to imagine why God is so forgiving, merciful, and graceful to us time and time again; after all God's Name is LOVE.

LOVE caused God to create the heavens and the earth, and all that exists, including humanity. LOVE caused God to love the Israelites so much that he chose to rescue them time and again. And LOVE ultimately gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life.

For the sake of his name God because our rescuer, healer, and deliverer. For the sake of his name God does not leave us, nor forsake us, even when it is our own sin that leads us into temptation and sin. For the sake of his name God offered up his only begotten son to ransom us from sin, death, and the grave. For the sake of his name God sent forth the Holy Spirit to empower and equip the church to do acts of love throughout the earth. And for the sake of his name, God will send Jesus back to the earth to redeem his people and establish the new Jerusalem at the end of days!

Aren't you glad about the Name of God?! Don't you feel a spirit of praise welling up in your heart as you think on the one who is called LOVE?!

I daily rejoice as I think about all of the ways that God has rescued me--for the sake of his name.

It is my prayer that all of us would do all that we can to lift up the Name of God within our spheres of influence so that all my be introduced to the KING OF LOVE.


Let us pray: Oh God! Your Name is LOVE. Please help me to live for the sake of your name. Please help me to lift up your name that others might come running asking what must they do to be saved. Your name is Wonderful! Your Name is Love! And I adore you...I pray this in Your 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/JVhaLta