Scripture:

“God’s Message came to me: ‘Son of man, when the people of Israel lived in their land, they polluted it by the way they lived. I poured out my anger on them because of the polluted blood they poured out on the ground. And so I got thoroughly angry with them polluting the country with their wanton murders and dirty gods. I kicked them out, exiled them to other countries. I sentenced them according to how they had lived. Wherever they went, they gave me a bad name. People said, ‘These are God’s people, but they got kicked off his land.’ I suffered much pain over my holy reputation, which the people of Israel blackened in every country they entered.

 

Therefore, tell Israel, ‘Message of God, the Master: I’m not doing this for you, Israel. I’m doing it for me, to save my character, my holy name, which you’ve blackened in every country where you’ve gone. I’m going to put my great and holy name on display, the name that has been ruined in so many countries, the name that you blackened wherever you went. Then the nations will realize who I really am, that I am God, when I show my holiness through you so that they can see it with their own eyes. For here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to take you out of these countries, gather you from all over, and bring you back to your own land. I’ll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I’ll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that’s God-willed, not self-willed. I’ll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands. You’ll once again live in the land I gave your ancestors. You’ll be my people! I’ll be your God!’

 

Message of God, the Master: ‘On the day I scrub you clean from all your filthy living, I’ll also make your cities livable. The ruins will be rebuilt. The neglected land will be worked again, no longer overgrown with weeds and thistles, worthless in the eyes of passersby. People will exclaim, ‘Why, this weed patch has been turned into a Garden of Eden! And the ruined cities, smashed into oblivion, are now thriving!’ The nations around you that are still in existence will realize that I, God, rebuild ruins and replant empty waste places. I, God, said so, and I’ll do it’.” Ezekiel 36:16-28, 33-36 (MSG)

 

Perspective:

God spoke to Ezekiel a prophetic word concerning Israel’s future. Ezekiel was living during a time when Israel was invaded by Babylon, yet even in a desperate place, God was still speaking. He spoke of a day that was yet to be. The Israelites had walked away from God, and He allowed enemy armies to come against them. There would have been a hopelessness that surrounded Ezekiel’s present reality without God’s Word. When everything seemed bleak, God’s truth became a beacon of light. Ezekiel was to convey this message to the people of Israel. God would restore the people to their land but not because of their righteous deeds. He would do it for the sake of His own name. His promise to the people was that He would bring them back to their homeland and restore that which had been destroyed. He would allow the people to rebuild. It wouldn’t happen overnight; it would require the contribution of the people. However, the places that had been destroyed by enemies would be filled with life, activity, hope, and peace.

 

God is the One who restores ruins. You may have an area of your life that feels very broken. Past decisions, hurtful words, or even things out of your control can leave the landscape of our lives with fractures. We might accept that God can restore some things but not everything. Is it more difficult for him to rebuild a physical structure or restore you from your brokenness? Nothing is outside of the scope of what God can do. As God looks at your future, He speaks over you of a day that has yet to be. You don’t have to build something if there is already a structure in place. God’s Word to you today is there is hope for tomorrow. He is bringing you to a place of building something new, which will be more glorious than the former. He doesn’t just fix our lives; He elevates it. When God steps in and offers us this type of grace, it is not based on what we deserve; it’s based on His gracious love for you and me. Then, He allows us to share in the good work of rebuilding. Don’t let a feeling of hopelessness define your future. God is the One who restores.

 

Scripture taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002.  Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. 

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About Hona Amer

I help people live life to the fullest. Check out my book, Smart Work U. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. In order to receive updates, subscribe below.

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