What would you do if the Lord appeared to you... reached down with His hand and picked you up by a lock of your hair? I asked my husband that question and he considered the pain. But I was thinking... maybe it would depend on the reason for the lift. I mean, He might be yanking you, like you needed to be pulled out from somewhere you shouldn't be. That for certain, would hurt. But what if... like Ezekiel, He was wanting to take you somewhere; wanting to show you something. I'm sure He could make it a gentler rise, without the discomfort that left you feeling as if you were gonna need a weave, or a wig to cover that spot. This was not the first time the Lord had appeared to Ezekiel. Nor the first time He transported his spirit, lifting him to a higher perspective; a view of earthly things from the heavenly realm. And what a perspective to see. For God had been grieved by man... ousted from the very temple that was built to honor His presence. He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel commits here, to make Me go far away from My sanctuary? Ezekiel 8:6 NKJV The very place that God promised His presence... had now been so defiled by foreign idols, pagan altars and ritual worship that His jealousy turned to wrath. And now He longed for human eyes to not only take in this view from above, but allow it to penetrate the heart, the soul, the spirit... There were no words to express the disparity within the heart of a man that only God sees... apart from what we choose to "dress up pretty" for the crowd. And He said to me, “Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing there.” So I went in and saw, and there... every sort of creeping thing, abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed all around on the walls. And there stood before them seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel... Each man had a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up. Then He said to me, Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols? For they say, The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land. Ezekiel 8:9-12 NKJV It's often easy for us to casually breeze past these Old Testament references of the temple and it's significance. Because we have never had to walk our lamb from the field of our homestead, to the hands of the priest... letting go of the rope, listening to the living and loud bleating. Soon to know it lives no more, so the blood it sheds upon the altar assures our hearts that we may sleep more soundly, forgiven. But let us not forget... that we too have been called the temple of the Lord. We too have led a Lamb to the slaughter. This One, however silent. Not one sound did He make in protest, but willingly shed that blood. Every drop He gave for each of us, which assures our hearts that we may sleep more soundly, forgiven. And within us dwells the very presence of our God. The assured and promised gift; the Holy Spirit, a guatantee, a pledge of our inheritance until His return and redemption for this world. So let us not become like these, who defile our temple with every high and lofty thing that causes Him jealousy because we love our prideful selves more than Him. And let us not fail to the opposite extreme listening to lies that drag us spiraling downward into the pit of dispair. For either is still a worship of darkness and self, where every sort of creeping thing, and abominable beast is given open access to our soul. Let us rather cry out to Him, Lord save us from ourselves! Open the door, exposing us to the Light. We are weary of darkness. Let us never grieve Him, quench His Spirit, nor oust Him from our temple. Forbid these words spoken of us... Then He said to me, Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols? For they say, The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land. Lord, God, reach down with Your hand, pick us up by a lock of our hair and lift us to the heavenly realm; show us Your amazing perspective. I'm sure You can make it a gentler rise, without discomfort. I trust in You wholly as my God. Remind us who and Who's we are... Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. Romans 8:12 NLT Help us, Lord, put to death... even sacrifice these deeds of our sinful nature, so we can live free as Your children. How grateful we should be... no longer fearful slaves, but rather faithful heirs of God's glory. Word of God train me, today... To set my mind on a higher perspective, leaving behind earthly desires and seeking that which is pleasing to God. To relax into Your grace, knowing that I am no longer a slave to sin, but rather an heir of God, free to choose a day of joy and contentment.
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January 2019
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