Aug 15 ... (Ezekiel 1)
This helped me greatly: "What Jeremiah is to the people of Judah in Jerusalem, the prophet Ezekiel is to the captives in Babylonian exile." That was great perspective for me to understand the timing in which his words are coming to the original hearers of them.

As a pastor, these words were interesting: "The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn." OUCH! "You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you." This is tough stuff for me. Honestly, I don't want to pastor obstinate and stubborn people! I don't want to speak and have those words bounce of my audience like a bouncy ball. I want hungry people to listen to the words of God. I want people are ready to do the crazy things to share their love and commitment to Christ. I want people who are willing to be thought of as nuts for HIS NAME SAKE. Lord, don't make me be Jeremiah or Ezekiel ... please!!!

I think the warning here, too, is that these words are echoed by Christ himself. Ezekiel is told "listen to what I say and then tell the people what you've heard." In the same way, Christ proclaimed, "I do nothing on my own but only what the Father tells me." How dependent are we on hearing from God? How obedient are we to Him when we sense Him speaking to us? Do we act only when God says to? Or do we act when it seems right according to human logic? This is penetrating stuff for me these days.

August 16: Ezekiel 8-11
This is a strange scene from Ezekiel's minstry. These chapters describe a vision that Ezekiel was given about detestible things taking place in Jerusalem at the time (even though he was personally in Babylon). He is lifted to see these things (like the Scrooge) and the Lord is deeply grieved.

As the reading ends, the Lord reminds Ezekiel about the bigger picture. In the midst of death and judgement, God is doing a new thing: "I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people and I will be their God."

August 17: Ezekiel 12-14
As I'm reading this section of scripture, I am overwhelmed by God's desire to bring his people back to him. His punishment has one purpose "Then you will know that I am God." He wants to "recapture the hearts of his people" and allow them to see him again as their God, their provider, their protector, and their friend. He's accomplishing this through judgement.

"... for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the sovereign Lord." In all things, in all circumstances, God is working!