What Does it Take?

Cindy Sov_MillerThis was the first full day of Grand Camp. We enjoyed a lot of activity; learning and having fun. The afternoon was free to enjoy recreation here at the “Y.” Caed went swimming, I took a nap. One of the surprises from yesterday at Dakota Ridge Church was seeing my friend Cindy Sovine-Miller and her husband Noah. I met Cindy in her lobbying role at the Capitol in 2007 and was pleased to find that her family had recently started attending the church.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…. “…Then they will know that I am the Lord.’” Ezekiel 6:14 NIV

Many people are constantly looking for a “sign” or some indication that the Lord is God. That the Lord is to be respected and “feared” and One to whom we submit our lives. Some believe that if they were not to do what they are doing that “God would strike them with lightning.”

We certainly see that God has revealed Himself in many ways. He does so through nature and the world around. He does so through His Word and the witness of Jesus, the Eternal  Son of God.

In the days of the Old Testament when God was preparing to judge His people for their constant rebellion, idolatry and refusal to listen to the words of the prophets, God was preparing to “show them” who He was, so without a doubt they would, “know that I am the Lord.”

That phrase is found 28 times in the Bible and 26 of them are in the Book of Ezekiel. The first occurrence is in chapter 6 and the last in chapter 38.  Sprinkled throughout the pages of this prophetic book, we find the Lord revealing Himself through the actions He is prepared to take.

What we can observe that this “revelation” of the Lord is not just to His people, but to other nations of the earth. Most notably Egypt and Babylon. These ancient powerful nations were going to come to realize that what they accomplished was not due to their superior culture, wisdom or military might, but it was because God was using them and allowing them to fulfill His purposes in the earth.

So we read, “Egypt will become a desolate wasteland. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 29:9 NIV)  “…I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 38:23 NIV)

The actions of the Lord are seen in judgment and restoration, “The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with despair…I will deal with them according to their conduct, and by their own standards I will judge them. “‘Then they will know that I am the Lord.’” (Ezekiel 7:27 NIV) “… I will make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 36:11 NIV)

The Lord, if needed, “tears down” that which needs to be removed, that which stand in our way to Him and He then rebuilds and restores for the glory of His name.

When the dust settles, when the Lord’s will is accomplished and His actions clearly seen, it is then time for people to recognize and honor Him for who He is. However, that still takes an open heart and a willingness to lay aside pride and stubbornness and to know that there is a God who orders the affairs of nations and of people. He does so out of His love and desire for all to come to know Him and dwell with Him for ever.

There is the old says, “we can do this the hard way or the easy way!” The easy way is to have an open heart to the Lord and His ways, to seek Him and honor Him with our life. The hard was is to experience the “heavy hand” of the Lord doing what is needed for us to “bow the knee” and recognize that He is the Lord.

Prayer for today… “Lord, how true that your plans and ways are beyond our understanding. But what we do know is that You desire all to recognize and affirm Your Lordship. Not because You need that, but because we need that to be all that You created us to be. Thank You that You move “heaven and earth” to rescue us from ourselves.”