Faith - Devotional RSS Feed

WHEN GOD HID HIS FACE

No Author — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:11:00 EST

By Mark D. Roberts

Ezekiel 39:1-29

When I pour my Spirit upon the house of Israel, I won�t hide my face from them again. This is what the LORD God says.

[Ezekiel 39:29]

Babies love playing Peek-a-boo. If you hide your face behind a towel, a newspaper, or your sweater and then burst out with a smile saying, 'Peek-a-boo,' just about any baby of a certain age will smile or laugh. You can play this game endlessly, or so it seems, until a baby hits a certain age. (Developmental psychologists explain that Peek-a-boo works with children who have not yet developed a sense of object permanence.

NEW LIFE FOR DEM DRY BONES

No Author — Mon, 14 May 2012 05:47:00 EST

By Mark D. Roberts

Ezekiel 37:1-28

The LORD God proclaims to these bones: I am about to put breath in you, and you will live again.

[Ezekiel 37:5]

Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.
Now hear the word of the Lord.
Toe bone connected to the foot bone.

ANTIDOTE TO WORKAHOLISM

No Author — Sat, 12 May 2012 06:48:00 EST

By Mark D. Roberts

Psalm 127:1-5

Unless the LORD builds a house,
the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the LORD protects a city,
guarding it with sentries will do no good.

[Psalm 127:1]

In 1971, theologian and psychologist Wayne E. Oates published a book called Confessions of a Workaholic. His use of the term �workaholic� went viral, as they say. Soon everybody was talking about whether or not they were workaholics, how much they overworked, and so on.

HOW CAN WE LIVE THE BEST KIND OF LIFE?

No Author — Fri, 11 May 2012 06:03:00 EST

By Mark D. Roberts

Ezekiel 36:23-38

...and I will give you my spirit so that you may walk according to my regulations and carefully observe my case laws.

[Ezekiel 36:27]

I want to live the best kind of life. I want to make my life count. I don't want to waste my life, living for transient and silly things. I want to live for what really matters.

My desire to live significantly is even stronger these days since I recently turned 55. By most measures, I am now a full-fledged senior citizen.

DO YOU WISH YOU HAD A NEW HEART?

No Author — Thu, 10 May 2012 06:25:00 EST

By Mark D. Roberts

Ezekiel 36:23-38

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove your stony heart from your body and replace it with a living one.

[Ezekiel 36:26]

Do you ever wish you had a new heart? I'm not asking about a physical heart, but a new way of being on the inside. Do you wish you could think, feel, and choose differently? Do you get tired of being tempted by the same sinful desires, thinking in the same mistaken ways, and willing to do what you know to be wrong? If so, then you probably do wish you had a new heart.

DO YOU WANT TO BE COMPLETELY CLEAN?

No Author — Wed, 09 May 2012 06:34:00 EST

By Mark D. Roberts

Ezekiel 36:23-38

I will take you from the nations, I will gather you from all the countries, and I will bring you to your own fertile land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be cleansed of all your pollution. I will cleanse you of all your idols. (CEB)

[Ezekiel 36:24-25]

In Ezekiel 36:24, the Lord utters words through Ezekiel that the Israelites were dying to hear: 'I will take you from the nations, I will gather you from all the countries, and I will bring you to your own fertile land.'

IS GOD TOO CONCERNED ABOUT HIS NAME?

No Author — Tue, 08 May 2012 06:18:00 EST

By Mark D. Roberts

Ezekiel 36:1-23

Therefore, say to the house of Israel, The LORD God proclaims: House of Israel, I�m not acting for your sake but for the sake of my holy name, which you degraded among the nations where you have gone. I will make my great name holy, which was degraded among the nations when you dishonored it among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD. This is what the LORD God says.

[Ezekiel 36:22-23]

Reading the book of Ezekiel is a little like hiking through a thirsty desert. Chapter after chapter, we confront desolation and despair.

HOW CAN WE STOP NURSING AN ANCIENT GRUDGE?

No Author — Mon, 07 May 2012 06:38:00 EST

By Mark D. Roberts

Ezekiel 35:1-15

Because you nursed an ancient grudge, you handed the Israelites over to the sword in the time of their distress, during their final punishment.

[Ezekiel 35:5]

Ezekiel 35 is a word of judgment against 'Mt. Seir,' a geographic representation of Edom. In this chapter, the Lord judges the Edomites because they took advantage of the Israelites when they were being invaded by the Babylonians. The people of Edom even 'exalted' themselves against the Lord and spoke against him (35:13).

FROM BITTER TEARS TO TEARS OF JOY

No Author — Sun, 06 May 2012 06:55:00 EST

By Mark D. Roberts

Psalm 126:1-6

Those who plant in tears
will harvest with shouts of joy.

[Psalm 126:5]

Psalm 126 begins with a joyful remembrance of a time when God brought 'brought back his exiles to Jerusalem' (126:1). It was a time of laughter and joy as the people of God celebrated: 'Yes, the LORD has done amazing things for us! What joy!' (126:3).

YOU'RE SURROUNDED!

No Author — Sat, 05 May 2012 09:02:00 EST

By Mark D. Roberts

Psalm 125:1-5

Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds his people, both now and forever.

[Psalm 125:2]

�You�re surrounded!� This phrase brings back memories of my childhood. On Saturday afternoons, I�d watch cop-and-robber movies on our black-and-white Motorola television. Inevitably, at some point the criminals would be holed up in some battered-down building. The cops would yell: �Come out with your hands up! You�re surrounded!� Being surrounded wasn�t a good thing for bad guys.

WHO WOULD WANT TO BE GOD'S SHEEP?

No Author — Fri, 04 May 2012 06:54:00 EST

By Mark D Roberts

Ezekiel 34:17-31

You are my flock, the flock of my pasture. You are human, and I am your God. This is what the LORD God says.

[Ezekiel 34:31]

The final verse of Ezekiel 34 adds an unexpected comment. It begins by reiterating the metaphor of God as Israel's shepherd: 'You are my flock, the flock of my pasture' (34:31). But then it adds, unexpectedly, 'You are human, and I am your God.' The original Hebrew of this verse includes the word adam, which means 'human' or 'humankind.'

THE SHEPHERD APPOINTS A SHEPHERD

No Author — Thu, 03 May 2012 06:57:00 EST

By Mark D. Roberts

Ezekiel 34:17-31

I will appoint for them a single shepherd, and he will feed them. My servant David will feed them. He will be their shepherd. I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David will be their prince. I, the LORD, have spoken.

[Ezekiel 34:23-24]

In yesterday's reflection, we saw that, after rebuking the 'shepherds' of Israel for failing to care for their 'flock,' God chooses to become Israel's good shepherd. He will do what their human shepherds failed to do: seek them, rescue them, protect them, nurture them.

A NEW JOURNEY HAS BEGUN

Becky Brown — Wed, 02 May 2012 11:02:00 EST

After losing so many important people in my life I have learned one thing: the one person I can depend on never leaving me is God. In Joshua 1:5 we find these words, �No one will be able to stand up against you during your lifetime. I will be with you in the same way I was with Moses. I won�t desert you or leave you.�Although they did not choose to leave, their time on earth came to an end. I have fond memories and images in my mind of them, but they are not with me. Putting my hope and trust in them and thinking they would be here forever is an assumption we all make about our families; myself included

A WARNING FOR SELF-SERVING LEADERS

No Author — Tue, 01 May 2012 06:20:00 EST

By Mark D. Roberts

Ezekiel 34:1-10

Human one, prophesy against Israel�s shepherds. Prophesy and say to them, The LORD God proclaims to the shepherds: Doom to Israel�s shepherds who tended themselves! Shouldn�t shepherds tend the flock? You drink the milk, you wear the wool, and you slaughter the fat animals, but you don�t tend the flock. (CEB)

[Ezekiel 34:2-3]

Today's news is full of stories of leaders who care more about themselves than about the people or institutions they lead. They seek their own power, glory, security, and riches rather than the good of those who entrusted them with authority.

ONE OF THE GREATEST GIFTS I RECEIVED FROM MY DAD

No Author — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 06:18:00 EST

By Mark D. Roberts

Ezekiel 33:1-33

So they come to you as people do, and they sit before you as my people. They listen to your words, but they refuse to do them. Though they speak of their longing for me, they act out of their own interests and opinions. (CEB)

[Ezekiel 33:31]

Today is my dad's birthday. He'd be eighty years old today. Unfortunately, I'm not able to celebrate with him because he's been with the Lord for twenty-six years. Maybe there are birthday parties in heaven.

OUR HEAVENLY HELP

No Author — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 06:36:00 EST

By Mark D. Roberts

Psalm 124:1-8

Our help is from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.

[Psalm 124:8]

Psalm 124 offers a stirring word of encouragement. It begins by asking a rhetorical question: 'What if the LORD had not been on our side?' (124:1). The simple answer is: We'd be a complete mess, utterly without hope. But, because God is on our side, 'the trap is broken, and we are free!' (124:7).

GAZING UPON THE LORD

No Author — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 09:09:00 EST

By Mark D. Roberts

READ Psalm 123:1-4

We keep looking to the LORD our God for his mercy,
just as servants keep their eyes on their master,
as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.

[Psalm 123:2]

A couple of years ago, I found myself stuck in the 'baby zone' of an airplane. Next to me sat a mother with an infant in her arms and a toddler in the seat alongside her. In front of me was another mother with a babe in arms. I must confess to feeling a bit of dread as I took my seat in the nursery of this Delta MD-88.

WATCH OUT WHEN YOU INTERPRET HISTORY AS A WORK OF GOD

No Author — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 05:57:00 EST

By Mark D. Roberts

Ezekiel 32:1-32

The LORD God proclaims: The sword of the king of Babylon is coming against you! I will make your hordes fall by the swords of mighty men, the most terrifying of the nations, all of them. They will bring an end to Egypt�s pride, and all of its hordes will be destroyed. (CEB)

[Ezekiel 32:11-12]

In Ezekiel 32, God tells his prophet to sing a lament for Egypt. This song comes in advance of God's judgment upon Egypt, which will be exercised by the armies of Babylon. In this chapter of Ezekiel, as in several previous chapters, human history is seen as acts of God, who uses Babylon for his sovereign purposes.

IS IT WRONG TO BE PROUD?

No Author — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 06:24:00 EST

By Mark D. Roberts

Ezekiel 31:1-18

So now the LORD God proclaims:
Consider the fate of those who tower high!
When it allowed its branches to reach up among the clouds,
it became arrogant. (CEB)

[Ezekiel 31:10]

Early in my years as a pastor, I was leading a Bible study for several college students. We were studying one of many passages in Scripture that warns us against pride. To my surprise and chagrin, one of my students challenged me:

DOES THE VIOLENCE IN THE BIBLE JUSTIFY VIOLENCE TODAY?

No Author — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:55:00 EST

By Mark D. Roberts

Ezekiel 30:1-26

The LORD God proclaims:
I will bring an end to the hordes of Egypt
through the power of Babylon�s King Nebuchadrezzar.
He and his people with him,
the most terrible of the nations,
will be brought in to destroy the land.
They will draw their swords against Egypt
and fill the land with the slain. (CEB)

WHERE DO YOU TURN WHEN YOU DON'T TRUST GOD ENOUGH?

No Author — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 06:50:00 EST

By Mark D. Roberts

Ezekiel 29:1-21

The house of Israel will never again bring guilt on itself by faithlessly turning to Egypt for help, for they will know that I am the LORD God. (CEB)
[Ezekiel 29:16]

Perhaps you really can't answer the question I asked in the title of this reflection: Where do you turn when you don't trust God enough? Perhaps your trust in God is so consistent that you truly cannot answer. If so, that's wonderful. I wish I could say I were just like you.

HOW THE MIGHTY FALL

No Author — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 06:17:00 EST

By Mark D. Roberts

Ezekiel 28:1-26

Through your shrewd trading you multiplied your riches. But then you became proud of your riches.
[Ezekiel 28:5]

About a decade ago, Jim Collins published one of the most influential business books in recent memory, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don�t. Then, in 2009, Collins published a sequel of sorts, How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In. An interviewer once asked Collins to summarize the findings of this second book. Why did once-great companies fall? Collins answered, 'What happened in all the great companies that fell is they made a shift from a humble drive to an arrogance, the belief they somehow magically deserved all that success�'We're just really better than everybody else, and we always will be.' '

PRAYING FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE

No Author — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 09:18:00 EST

Psalm 122:1-9

O Jerusalem, may there be peace within your walls
and prosperity in your palaces.

Psalm 122:7

Often, when I pray for God to do something, I am fairly confident that what I ask will happen. For example, when I�m helping to lead a retreat at Laity Lodge, I ask the Lord to bless those who have gathered with his grace and make his presence known to them. As I pray, I am almost certain that God will answer this prayer in the affirmative. Why? Because for over fifty years he has done this very thing at Laity Lodge in thousands of lives. So I pray with boldness based on experience as much as faith.

THE HELP WE REALLY NEED

No Author — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EST

By Mark D. Roberts

Psalm 121:1-8

I look up to the mountains�
does my help come from there?
My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth!
[Psalm 121:1-2]

Growing up in the church, I always heard the opening verses of Psalm 121 as an invitation to gaze upon the mountains for a reminder of God�s presence. I was encouraged by the King James Version rendering of verse 1: �I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.�