THINGS THAT PROVOKE GOD : Devotion for Wednesday June 8, 2016
Text: Ezekiel 36:16 – 20 Memory verse: v 17
One
characteristics or nature of God is that He doesn’t punish or restore us
without telling us our wrongs. Most cases He sets before us the wrong and its
consequences, and the right and its blessings (Lev. 24 and Deut. 28). The
scripture has the story of how God spoke about the impending danger on the
house of Eli but they did not heed the warning (1 Sam. 2:27–34). Here God told
Ezekiel what made Him to drive away the Israelis from their land into exile. This
was God’s reason: “When the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they
defiled it by their own ways and deeds; to me their way was like the
uncleanness of a woman in her customary impurity.” These actions of the
Israelis were contrary to the covenant they made with God in Sinai when they
came out of Egypt. They chose their ways rather than that of God. This was the
thing that provoked God’s anger.
Beloved,
by virtue of our new birth as Christians, we entered into a new covenant with
God. In that New Covenant Jesus Christ commands us to believe in Him and keep
His commandment. It was for this reason He gave us the New Commandment that we
should love one another as He loved us. Do we keep the commandments as required
of us? Do we love one another as He loved us? Failure means that we have chosen
our own way as against the ways of God as the Israelis did. By that action, we
have severed ourselves from God’s kingdom. Is that your wish and desire?
Food for Thought: Obedience to God is required from us if we hope to have a
place in His kingdom
Prayer: Grant me the grace I need, O Lord, to always do things according to your will and not mine in Jesus name.
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