Good morning Grace,
I pray you are all doing well. But I am not certain you are. Seeing as our prayer request list is fairly long, and there seems to be a rising of tense and uncertain times around us, I would like to share what part of the Bible God brought to my ears yesterday and how it blessed me.
It took me a while this summer to make it through Isaiah and Jeremiah, but I finished them. I was looking forward to something different for a moment, but…Lamentations follows Jeremiah. So, in my selfish thoughts, I was not looking forward to what was next. I had a rough week and I thought Lamentations would just weigh down my heart even more. Plowing ahead I was able to go through all of Lamentations and the first part of Ezekiel in one sitting (I often listen to my Bible on my long drive to work and back). I would recommend this part of the Bible now for anyone who is feeling down.
When you hit the middle of Lamentations 3, after hearing laments over the fall of Jerusalem, you hit a bright spot of hope.
“I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young…
For no one is cast off
by the Lord forever.
Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.
For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to anyone.” Lamentations 3:19-27,31-33
I was moved while hearing this. Even though the walls of Jerusalem were brought down, the temple destroyed, and the Jews were in exile, they still had hope. I kept contemplating that hope while listening to the next couple chapters of lament, then the page was turned to Ezekiel. Wow! This really filled me with joy! Ezekiel shares what he saw in a vision from God. He has a beautiful description of God Himself.
“Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be His waist up He looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down He looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around Him.” Ezekiel 1:25-27
Not only that, but when Ezekiel saw this, he fell facedown and guess who helped him up? “As He spoke, the SPIRIT came into me and raised me to my feet…” Ezekiel 2:2.
When I hear or read how amazing God actually physically is, I am amazed that He cares for us so much. Our problems may seem huge and overwhelming to us, but when you think of how majestic and omnipotent God is and how we can have the help of the Holy Spirit, our problems are put into perspective. This fills me with nothing but awe for the maker of Heaven and earth.
I loved hearing Ezekiel on the heels of Lamentations. We have a great and mighty God! I hope this blesses you like it did me.
Love to all,
Amy