Tell me what I dreamed and what it means – this was the unreasonable demand of King Nebuchadnezzar of all of the wise men of Babylon. When they were unable to do this, he ordered their execution. When the officers came to kill Daniel, “he handled the situation with wisdom and discretion.” He asked for more time then went to his friend Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) and asked them to pray. He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon. That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. He said,

“Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power.
He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings.
He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars.
He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light.
I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors, for you have given me wisdom and strength.
You have told me what we asked of you and revealed to us what the king demanded.” – Daniel 2:18-23

So, when faced with a difficult situation, a matter of life or death, Daniel gathered his friends together and they prayed for God’s intervention. Then, when God answered their prayer, Daniel first took time to praise God, acknowledging the source of all wisdom, power, knowledge and strength. Prayer and praise – two of the main ingredients to Daniel’s success, to his excellence.

God revealed the dream and its meaning to Daniel, who in turn gave God all the glory explaining to the king why God was revealing this dream. Daniel in essence said – What you have asked is impossible, but nothing is impossible for God. God doesn’t have to explain this dream to you or reveal the future to you, but He has because God wants you to understand what is in your heart (Dan. 2:27-30).

Then the king appointed Daniel to a high position and gave him many valuable gifts. He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all his wise men. At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be in charge of all the affairs of the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court (Dan. 2:48-49). Now these four young Jewish men in captivity were being entrusted with even more. These young men of excellence were faithful to God and God was enlarging their territory.

King Nebuchadnezzar’s response to God revealing the meaning of his dream was to acknowledge that Daniel’s God is the greatest of gods. This was the problem. He did not recognize God as the only true God, just that He was the Most High of all the gods. He still did not accept that God was the only One to be worshipped. Nebuchadnezzar made a 90 foot by 90 foot statue made of gold out in the province where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were in leadership. The base of this statue would have been much bigger than a basketball court to give you an idea of its size. He commanded that everyone bow and worship this statue.

Once more, these three young men were given the opportunity to choose excellence, even when faced with the possibility of death. You see, although the king did not recognize that God was the only true God, these young men did. Their new positions of authority and power did not boast their pride but they remained humbly faithful to their God. They refused to bow to the statue.

“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” – Daniel 3:16-18

Wow! This has been one of my favorite testimonies of faith since I was a little girl and it remains extremely powerful to me today. Even if God doesn’t answer their prayer as they have requested, they will serve God and only God.

Today, New Year’s Eve, is a day when people naturally look back at the year that is ending and remember all that happened – the good times and the difficult times, the struggles and the triumphs, the mistakes and the victories. Prayer and praise – we have the opportunity to spend time today praising God for EVERYTHING and then praying over the year we are about to begin.

What are you asking for today? What are you asking for 2014? Does your faith in God hinge on whether or not He answers your prayer your way? Prayer and praise – these two ingredients of Daniel’s faith are available to us. Are we prepared to praise God no matter how He answers our prayer? Do we trust the heart of God enough to trust His hand?

Are you ready? 2014 is just hours away. God has a plan for each of us in the coming year but are we prepared for the opportunities He has before us? We have been chosen for a specific purpose in the days ahead. The future is unknown but we know whom we serve. What do we need to do today to be ready for what He has for us tomorrow?

When the training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief of staff brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the royal service. Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom. Daniel remained in the royal service until the first year of the reign of King Cyrus (Daniel 1:18-21).

Let’s consider what an incredible opportunity this was for these four young Jewish men. Jerusalem has been attacked and God’s people have been brought to Babylon where they will spend the next 70 years in exile. These Jewish families were allowed to live in peace and comfort in this new country but it did not take away the daily realization that they were most definitely in captivity. They could not leave and go home – they were strangers in a strange land.

They were chosen because they were ready. The king ordered his chief of staff to bring to the palace some of the young men from Judah’s royal family and other noble families who were strong, healthy, and good-looking, as well as knowledgeable in EVERY branch of learning – gifted with knowledge and good judgment (1:3-4). These young men did not have to suddenly prepare themselves for this opportunity; it was given them because they were ready. They had spent their time learning and listening. They were already healthy and strong. They were ready, therefore they were chosen.

They remembered to whom they belonged. Now that they were in royal service to the King, he wanted their loyalty. He renamed them after Babylonian gods in order to redefine them. Daniel’s name meant “God is my judge” but the chief of staff renamed him Belteshazzar, “Bel protects his life.” Hananiah meant “the Lord is grace” but he was given the name Shadrach, “command of Aku”. Mishael, “who is God?”, became Meshach “who is Aku?”; Azariah, “the Lord helps”, became Abednego, “servant of Nebo” (1:7). Nebuchadnezzar was trying to redefine them but these young men never lost track of the God to whom they truly belonged – who was their judge, who defined “grace”, who would tell them what to do and who would help them.

They chose excellence, so God made them excellent. The King wanted their loyalty so he treated all of the young men very well. They were given fine wine and delicious foods to eat (you know what they say – the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach). But the meats prepared were probably unclean by Jewish standards, using unclean meats such as pork. The custom in Babylon was to dedicate their wine to their gods so drinking the wine would have been disloyal to God.

This royal treatment was a way for the King to win the loyalty of all of these young men – giving them a taste of what the world had to offer them, what the King could give them if they were loyal to him. Everyone else compromised their standards but these four young men remained loyal to the God of Israel. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah chose a more excellent way, denying themselves the rich foods and choosing vegetables and water instead (1:8-16).

God blessed their faithfulness by making them men of excellence. God gave these young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams (1:17). No one impressed the King more than these four young men. They were found to be ten times more capable than any of the others.

I want to be a woman of excellence. That is my prayer. I want to be prepared for the opportunities God sends my way in 2014. I want to prepare myself – both physically and intellectually – so that I am ready to be used by God. When the world tries to win my loyalty, I want to remember to whom I belong and who is my judge and choose what God has to offer me instead of what the world has to offer. When difficult times come, I want to remember the grace of God and that He is the One who will help me. I want to be ready. I want to choose excellence.

My friend, Rachael, posted this on Facebook yesterday:
We’d made our fifth and final stop on Christmas Day. It was late, Chris and I were exhausted, and the kids were still basking in the glow of present-opening.

“Yes, we certainly do,” I replied, feeling the warmth of gratitude in my own heart.

Love is a big part of the story of Christmas so we are thankful when our children understand. The reason we show our friends and family love at Christmas is because of God’s expression of love in the birth of His son. It was out of His great love for us and with the purpose of our salvation that God sent His Son into the World as a baby – knowing what His fate on earth would be.

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus , because he will save his people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:21

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” – John 3:16-19

So, as we consider how much God loves us this Christmas, let us consider what He wants us to do with that love…

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. – 1 John 3:16-18

We cannot focus in on the story of Jesus’ birth without considering His command that we love one another. The two are discussed side by side over and over again: God loved us enough to give us Jesus therefore we need to show that kind of love to the world around us – a Christmas kind of love.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. – 1 John 4:7-21

Lord, give us opportunities today to show your love to those around us. Fill our hearts with a Christmas kind of love so that we can love others with a love that comes from You. Amen.

So what did you get for Christmas? This is the question we will hear over and over again for the next few days. The question “Did you have a nice Christmas?” will become about what we received from others. But we can purposefully change that focus. Christmas can become about how we worshiped our King, how we spent time seeking Him and entering into His presence to give Him praise.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”– Matthew 2:1-2

We have come to worship him. What a great reminder for me this morning to check my intent when I enter into my quiet time or go to a service at Church. I think there are a lot of times when I am going through the motions instead of sincerely entering into His presence to worship Him. When I wake up, grab a cup of coffee, turn on the fireplace, and open my Bible, it would be helpful to pause and consider that this time is not about me but about Him. When I walk into the Church, it is not about who I get to see or whether or not I am going to like the song selection, I am there to worship God.

But it is so easy to be distracted by everything else going on – my own thoughts wander or I am distracted by focusing on people instead of the Savior. I am distracted by the chaos of Christmas – the shopping, the parties, getting the Christmas cards mailed, the baking…

The wisemen could have easily been distracted as well. The wisemen came to Jerusalem intently looking for the King of the Jews. This was not something they were doing halfheartedly. They had spent years studying for this journey and their hearts were committed to this search. But there was one who tried hard to distract them – to make this search about him instead of about the newborn King.

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I may go and worship him.” – Matthew 2:3-8

This was the moment when their purpose for their search could have changed. This is the person who could have distracted them from their calling. This is time in which their quest could have become about earthly success or acclaim, but the wisemen stayed focused on their original purpose – to find and worship the King of all Kings.

After they heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. – Matthew 2:9-11a

The Message describes their reaction as “They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him.” The NLT says they were “filled with joy.”

When we enter into God’s house or enter into His presence during our daily quiet time, if we have truly come to worship Him and if we block out distractions and focus on Him, we can be overcome with joy. We can bow before Jesus, open up our hearts to Him, and sincerely worship Him. Then we can empty ourselves and offer Him everything we have to give.

Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. – Matthew 2:11b

Have you picked out your gift for Jesus this year? It’s not too late. I can tell you what He wants from you this year. He wants YOU – all of you, focused on Him and entering into His presence sincerely intent on worshiping Him. So, are you having a nice Christmas? What did you get for Christmas? Did you receive all that Jesus had for you? Did you give all of yourself to Him this year? Let’s enter into His presence and allow Jesus to make this Christmas exactly what He wants it to be.

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared among them and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” – Luke 2:8-12

Have you ever wondered why shepherds? Why did God choose this group of shepherds to be the first visitors to the Messiah? I wonder if they had the same response – Why me? Out of everyone you could have given this opportunity, why did you choose me? I am not the smartest or the funniest or the most attractive, and definitely not the most talented. Why choose me to be a part of this big plan? I am not perfect. I have definitely made my share of bad decisions and spoken words I immediately regretted, yet you love me and have a plan for my life.

Terrified

Do you know what it is to be scared to death of God’s plan? It is in those moments, like this one the shepherds experienced, that we do not fully understand what is happening. Yet God calls us to trust Him. “Don’t be afraid!” Trust me, even when it means not understanding.

“I bring you good news…”

This is a good thing. There is no need to be scared, no need to worry. This new thing, this change in your life, is a good thing. You may not see it now but trust me – “Don’t be afraid!”

“And you will recognize him…”

I’m not going to hide from you. Seek me with all your heart and you will find me. Look around, there is evidence of my hands all around you. If you take the time to watch and listen, you will recognize me and you will hear from me.

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others – the armies of heaven – praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in highest heavens,
And peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” – Luke 2:13-14

Lord, we praise You. You are Almighty and You are wonderful! To You be ALL the glory!!! From the humblest of hearts to the highest heaven, may Your glory be seen and recognized. Thank you, King Jesus, for the peace you allow us to experience each day. May You look down on us today and be pleased with our worship! Amen.

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. – Luke 2:16

They hurried…

They did not hesitate, they did not pause. They did not go around asking for advice. They had heard from God and they hurried to do what He had told them to do. Because of this response, they did not miss out on what God had for them. And oh what a wonderful experience God had for them, what a good thing!

After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. – Luke 2:17-20

I enjoy reading the Christmas story. It is one of my favorite moments of Christmas each year. I like to consider what it was like for those who experienced Christmas firsthand. What was it like to be greeted by an angel? How bright was the star? What was it like to bow at the manger and wonder what was to come of this baby?

I have always wanted to know more about Joseph – especially how he experienced all of this emotionally (I love a good romance – I also love the movie The Nativity Story). Did Joseph love Mary? Did he experience all of the emotions that were experienced by others who saw firsthand the story of the Christ Child unfolding?

Did he experience hope when the angel of the Lord told him to name the baby Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21)? Joseph was from the line of David and he was a righteous man. He would have recognized that the prophecy was being fulfilled through the birth of this baby. He would have eagerly been waiting for the Messiah to come. Now he had a front row seat to the fulfillment of this promise of salvation for his family – for himself.

Did he experience peace like Mary did as she “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19)? Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you.” It seems he must have trusted in what the angel said because “he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife” (Matthew 1:24).

Did he experience joy like the Magi did when they willingly surrendered their own lordship to the Lordship of their true King and Savior? If there is truly joy in surrender, I believe Joseph felt joy. Joseph planned to divorce Mary quietly, yet he surrendered that plan to God when the angel of the Lord came to him and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20).

So let’s find out the answer to my first question – Did Joseph love Mary? If we look to 1 Corinthians 13 for the definition of love, I believe we will all agree that Joseph was patient and kind, not self-seeking, not easily angered. Love protects – Joseph kept his little family safe from harm when King Herod tried to destroy this new King. Love is not proud – by taking Mary as his wife he was willing for people to think that this baby was his, that he was not the righteous man they had believed him to be. He surrendered his reputation – now that’s love.

The best word I can find to describe Joseph’s actions is obedience. He listened for the voice of God, his heart was in the right place so that he heard what God had to say, and he obeyed – following exactly what God told him to do. I have experienced firsthand, therefore I believe, that obedience out of love brings hope, peace and joy.

What is God asking you to do? Do you need a word from the Lord today? Draw near to God, enter into His presence and listen to what He says with a heart willing to obey. It is the best recipe for hope, peace and joy this Christmas.

Just as the prophets foretold, God’s people have been captured by Babylon and taken into captivity. Jerusalem has been destroyed. God’s promise to His people is to bring them back home after seventy years of captivity. During this same time of God speaking and bringing forth judgment on the Israelites, he was also speaking judgment against the enemy nations that surrounded them. One of those enemies was actually their “brother” nation.

God’s people who had just been taken into captivity in Babylon were descendants of Abraham’s grandson, Jacob. The descendants of Jacob’s brother, Esau, were the people of Edom. The prophet Obadiah focuses on the reaction of the Edomites as they replay the animosity that Esau felt towards Jacob. As the people of Israel are being attacked and carried into exile, Esau’s descendants are celebrating – they are gloating and even going as far as to assist the Babylonians instead of stepping in and helping the Israelites. God addressed this infidelity head on through the prophet Obadiah.

The Lord says to Edom, “I will cut you down to size among the nations; you will be greatly despised. You have been DECEIVED BY YOUR OWN PRIDE because you live in a rock fortress and make your home high in the mountains. ‘Who can ever reach us up here?’ you ask boastfully. But even if you soar as high as eagles and build your nest among the stars, I WILL BRING YOU CRASHING DOWN,” says the Lord (Obadiah 1:2-4).

“Because of the violence you did to your close relatives in Israel, you will be filled with shame and destroyed forever. When they were invaded, YOU STOOD ALOOF, refusing to help them. Foreign invaders carried off their wealth and cast lots to divide up Jerusalem, but you acted like one of Israel’s enemies. You should not have gloated…You should not have rejoiced…You should not have spoken arrogantly in that terrible time of trouble…As you have done to Israel, so it will be done to you” (Obadiah 1:10-12,15).

God, help us! How often have we been found standing aloof while those around us are struggling? How often have we refused to help those around us who are suffering the consequences of their own actions? We stand back and say, “It serves them right” or “I’m not surprised” or “That’s what you get when…” Just as God expected the descendants of Esau to step in and help their neighboring brother nation, He communicated strong expectations in both the Old and New Testaments for how we are to help those around us.

“If you see your neighbor’s ox or sheep or goat wandering away, don’t ignore your responsibility. Take it back to its owner. If its owner does not live nearby or you don’t know who the owner is, take it to your place and keep it until the owner comes looking for it. Then you must return it. Do the same if you find your neighbor’s donkey, clothing, or anything else your neighbor loses. Don’t ignore your responsibility. If you see that your neighbor’s donkey or ox has collapsed on the road, DO NOT LOOK THE OTHER WAY. Go and help your neighbor get back on its feet!” – Deut. 22:1-4

“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me your clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.
Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’
And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’
And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” – Matthew 25:41-46

Obadiah spoke of this same kind of fire while prophesying of the Edomites future. He challenged them to look past where they were and see what God had ahead for them:
The people of Israel will be a raging fire, and Edom a field of dry stubble.
The descendants of Joseph will be a flame roaring across the field, devouring everything.
There will be no survivors in Edom. I, the Lord, have spoken! – Obadiah 1:18

God obviously takes our responsibility to those around us VERY seriously – to the point of punishment here on earth and eternally. For this reason, we also should take it seriously. So how can we apply this? Especially during the Christmas season, when God has blessed us with so much and there are so many around us who have so little.

“Maybe this will be a nice Christmas after all!” That is what a young mother said at the Pregnancy Resource Center last week as she selected some beautiful items from our resource room. The items had just arrived from a local family and already they were bringing joy to a family who is struggling to make ends meet.

Dear Lord, show us today to whom you would have us reach out. Forgive us for our complacency and our gloating. Destroy our pride and replace it with compassion for others. Convict us when we look away and give us Your eyes to see the world around us. Amen.

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other – Romans 12:9-10 NLT

Jesus replied, “’You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” – Matthew 22:37-39

The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley with bones. He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out (Ez.37:1-2).

Can you picture this – a valley covered in old dry bones? The first thing that comes to my mind is a scene from the animated movie “The Lion King”, where the young Simba and Nala run through what they call “the elephant graveyard” – a valley full of bones. What the Israelites probably pictured was the prophecy of Jeremiah just a few years before this:

“So beware,” says the Lord, “when that garbage dump will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben-Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. They will bury the bodies in Topheth until there is no more room for them. The bodies of my people will be food for the vultures and wild animals, and no one will be left to scare them away. I will put an end to the happy singing and laughter in the streets of Jerusalem. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard in the towns of Judah. The land will lie in complete desolation.

“In that day,” says the Lord, “the enemy will break open the graves of the kings and officials of Judah, and the graves of the priests, prophets, and common people of Jerusalem. They will spread out their bones on the ground before the sun, moon and stars – the gods my people have loved, served and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered up again or buried but will be scattered on the ground like manure…” – Jeremiah 7:32-8:2

What a horrifying mental picture. God was using this imagery to represent the people of Israel. By now Jerusalem had been destroyed and all of God’s people had been scattered. The Jews feared they would never be a nation again – that the people of Israel would slowly fade away and die.

Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones – all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’ Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’” – Ezek. 37:11-14

As angry as God was with the unfaithfulness of His children, He still heard their cries and wanted to give them hope. He spoke to his people through the prophet Ezekiel concerning the dry bones: “Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life.” – Ezek. 37:4-7

Then as Ezekiel watched, that is exactly what happened to the valley of dry bones – They all came to life and stood up on their feet – a great army (37:10b). Praise God! The people already knew with confidence that God COULD extend grace to them, forgive them and breathe life back into their nation. The question was whether or not He WOULD. They needed to hear that He was not completely abandoning them in their sin but that there was indeed hope for their future (Jer. 29:11).

And that is the God we serve! There are times when God allows us to experience the full consequences of our sins. We reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7-8). But the God we serve is also a loving God who does not give up on us – He breathes new life into us through the blood of Jesus Christ.

There are also times in our lives when God allows us to suffer from illnesses, disease or tragedies. We know we serve a God who CAN heal and make everything better, but we find ourselves watching and waiting to see if He WILL.

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil – the commander of the powers of the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this, it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. – Ephesians 2:1-5,8-10

Let’s praise God along with the psalmist David:
No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
My body rests in safety.
For you will NOT leave my soul among the dead
Or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
You will show me the joy of your presence and
The pleasures of living with you forever (Psalm 16:9-11).

“You are my flock, the sheep of my pasture. You are my people and I am your God. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken” (Ez. 34:31).

I find great comfort in the imagery that God is my shepherd, caring for me and watching over me each day. God uses the comparison of the sheep and their Shepherd over and over again in the Bible and Jesus used the same description more than once. Of course, we could be a little insulted by being called sheep because of their lack of intelligence, yet we find ourselves agreeing with the fact that alone we are lost and unprotected and most definitely in need of a Shepherd.

In Ezekiel, the Lord expressed anger with the leaders of Israel who were supposed to be “shepherding” the flock. “You abandoned MY flock and left them to be attacked by every wild animal. And though you were my shepherds, you didn’t search for my sheep when they were lost. You took care of yourselves and left the sheep to starve” (Ez.34:8).

Jesus expressed this same frustration with the leaders of Israel during His time on earth: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep” (John 10:11-15).

This is what the Good Shepherd has to say about how He will care for his sheep after their time of exile in Babylon: “I myself will search and find my sheep. I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. I will bring them back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples and nations. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers and in all the places where people live. Yes, I will give them good pastureland on the high hills of Israel. There they will lie down in pleasant places and feed in the lush pastures of the hills. I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign Lord. I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak” (Ez.34:11-16).

Oh, how our Heavenly Father loves all of His sheep! He takes care of His flock, individually caring for each and every lamb. He doesn’t give up on the lost but actively draws them to Himself and heals them from their time away from the flock. This is what Jesus had to say about our Good Shepherd:

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way, your Father in heaven in not willing that any of these little ones should be lost” (Matt. 18:12-14).

What?!! He cares more about the one who has wandered off into sin than for the one who has remained with the flock. We should be hurt by that, shouldn’t we? Oh, the sin of self-righteousness that trips us up over and over again. The prophet Isaiah clears this one right up for us: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

Let’s join the psalmist David in this prayer, recognizing that God is OUR Shepherd:
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name sake.
Even though I walk through the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
For you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. – (Ps.23)

As we talk about how the Lord is our shepherd, I can’t help but think of how the shepherds were invited to the birth of Jesus. They could relate to the Good Shepherd coming to search and find His sheep.

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. – Luke 2:8-20

We have friends whose dog has been missing for 5 days now. As Christmas draws near, their biggest desire is to find the dog they love so much and bring him home. God loves each one of us with that kind of love – a love that wants to bring every lost soul home before Christmas.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9.

This same message is evident in the book of Ezekiel. Even as God is prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem as a punishment to His people for their sins, He speaks of His desire that all should come to repentance – than none should perish. He appointed Ezekiel as a “watchman” to tell those who were sinning to repent and to warn those who were not sinning to continue in their righteousness (Ez.33:7-9). The same message of God’s desire to save the lost and to bless His people is presented in chapters 18 and 33 of Ezekiel.

“As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live…

“The righteous behavior of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will the wicked behavior of wicked people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins. When I tell righteous people that they will live, but then they sin, expecting their past righteousness to save them, then none of their righteous acts will be remembered. I will destroy them for their sins. And suppose I tell some wicked people that they will surely die, but then they turn from their sins and do what is just and right…then they will surely live and not die. None of their past sins will be brought up again, for they have done what is just and right, and they will surely live” (Ez.33:11-16).

I love that our God never gives up on us – that He is always willing to forgive, always desiring for His children to come to repentance. Often we give up on the chance that our friend or loved one will ever turn from their sinful lifestyle but God never gives up. Just like Ezekiel, He has appointed us all as watchmen. He wants us to help bring back the lost sheep and watch over those who are not lost to help them stay in the flock. He is a loving God who wishes to extend grace to His people.

But our God is also a jealous God and a just God. We have a choice to either sin or not sin and we will be judged by our choices. “Do you think that I like to see wicked people die, says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live. However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins” (Ez. 18:23-24).

A grapevine exists for the purpose of producing fruit. But what if it stops producing fruit? What else is it good for?

When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it. – Hebrews 6:7-8

Then this message came to Ezekiel:
“Son of man, how does a grapevine compare to a tree? Is a vine’s wood as useful as the wood of a tree? Can its wood be used for making things, like pegs to hang pots and pans? No, it can only be used for fuel, and even as fuel, it burns too quickly. Vines are useless both before and after being put into the fire!

“And this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Jerusalem are like grapevines growing among the trees of the forest. Since they are useless, I have thrown them on the fire to be burned. And I will see to it that if they escape form one fire, they will fall into another. When I turn against them, you will know that I am the Lord. And I will make the land desolate because my people have been unfaithful to me. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!” – Ezekiel 15

Vines are only good for bearing fruit. If they are not going to bear fruit, then they are only useful for building fires – but even their fires burn too quickly, so they are still useless. We are created to live a fruitful life – a life of righteousness and good works that flow out of our faith relationship with God.

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.” – John 15:1-6

Father God, thank you for creating us with a purpose in mind for our lives. Thank you for placing a desire in our hearts to please you and to serve you. As we enjoy the Christmas celebrations going on all around us, give us quiet moments of pondering the purpose for which you have us here today. Prune us and mold us into a grapevine whose produce comes straight from the desires of Your heart. Create in us a watchman’s heart, caring about the lost souls around us. Give us eyes to see the lost and a heart of grace to reach out to them. Use us to bring back the lost sheep and care for those in your flock, that none would be lost. Thank you for being a loving God who wishes to extend grace to all your people. Amen.