November 9

Ezekiel 20:1-49, Hebrews 9:11-28, Psalm 107:1-43, Proverbs 27:11

Pray: Lord, we pray that as we read these words which are life giving we may see Your presence, Your grace and Your strong hand holding persons accountable because they actually count, they matter to You, oh Lord. Help us to see our one or two takeaways today which we might apply to our life and those around us.

Read: When we drive down the road with the windows down we think, “It's nice to breath in some fresh air” and suddenly we get behind someone whose car is burning oil and the “pollution” is nearly unbearable. You can’t help but think, “why doesn’t the driver get that car fixed, it’s polluting the air and it's ruining my fresh air moment. Likewise, Ezekiel calls the worship of idols and false gods a spiritual pollution. We pollute our souls by trusting in things which we have made with our own hands, rather than the living God who has made us with His hands. Can’t we get that fixed?

Edify: So Hebrews tells it like it is—the Gospel is a person—Jesus Christ. The Good News is that we could not save ourselves. For generations the Hebrew people have offered sacrifices at God’s altar to NO avail. No matter how much blood flowed from the altars from Jerusalem or Judea nothing could pay the sin debt of humankind for our sins past, present and future. Jesus, who had never sinned, was the only suitable sacrifice without sin who could atone for the sins of the world.

Practice:  The Psalmist makes the most convincing argument for the motivation to share the Good News of Christ with a hurting, broken world, “Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out!"

  "Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.” (vs 2) Gratitude and love should drive our passion to let the world know, “you don’t have to perish, you can have everlasting life” beginning now. So, who will you first pray for today and who will you invite to church and share your faith with? Their eternal destiny may depend upon your response.