Ezekiel 10-12

“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them ...” (11:19). Although in Ezekiel’s vision, tragically, God’s glory departed from Jerusalem’s Temple (10:18), that was not the end. God was “a sanctuary” for His people in the countries of their exile, and He promised to bring them back to their land (11:16-17). Even more, God promised to give them a heart of “flesh” in place of stone, and a chance to be transformed by “a new spirit” (11:18-20).

“They will be my people, and I will be their God” (11:20). God’s desire has always been that Israel and the whole world would belong to Him fully. Through Jesus Christ, He made a way for our hard hearts to be transformed.

Ezekiel 8-9

“The Spirit lifted me up ... in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem” (8:3). Although Ezekiel was physically in another land, the Lord showed him what was happening in Jerusalem. In the Temple itself, there was an “idol of jealousy,” and in a secret room, Jerusalem’s elders were worshiping unclean things (8:10). Women were acting out rituals for the false god Tammuz (8:14), while men were bowing down to the sun (8:16). God made it clear that things done publicly or privately were equally visible to Him.

God “marked” those who belonged to Him and thirsted for His ways (9:4). He is the God who sees us and knows our hearts. In public and private, He calls us to holiness.

Ezekiel 6-7

“Their silver and gold will not be able to deliver them ... It will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs, for it has caused them to stumble into sin” (7:19). The Lord declared that His people had turned away from Him as their source of security and power and had trusted in their material possessions instead. These idols had no ability to provide for them or protect them. Because Israel rejected God, He would turn from them, and even the Temple itself would fall (7:22).

“Then they will know that I am the Lord” (7:27). God calls us to honor Him as King, recognizing that earthly things - houses, jobs, bank accounts - cannot protect or satisfy us; He alone is our salvation.

I Peter 2

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession ...” (9). Peter reminded the believers in the Roman Empire that through Jesus Christ they were God’s special possession (5). Because their first allegiance was to Jesus, they were “foreigners and exiles” and sometimes persecuted in the world. They were “free” because they belonged to Christ, not the Empire. Their freedom was not for causing trouble, but for living good, law-abiding lives that pointed people to Jesus (12-17).

“Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God” (10). No matter our circumstances or past, by faith we become God’s people. We always have the choice to speak and act in ways that reflect Jesus.

I Peter 1

“In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade” (3). Peter was writing to believers who lived as “exiles” in various cities, enduring difficult trials because of their faith (1,6). Peter reminded them that their inheritance with Jesus was secure, no matter what happened to them in this life. They had been “born again” through the indestructible power of God’s Word (23), which had always pointed to the Messiah (10-12).

When we cling to Jesus through difficult times, “the proven genuineness” of our faith is revealed and strengthened. Our enduring trust in God is worth more than gold (7).

James 5

“Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop ...” (7). James directs our attention to the way God’s kingdom works, rather than the world’s. Those who are hoarding wealth now and not paying their workers properly may seem successful, but they will face God’s judgment (1). Those who put their time and effort into God’s purposes, following His ways even at risk of suffering, will reap a valuable crop eternally (10-11).

“Be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near” (8). Following God’s heart can put us out of step with the short-term, selfish values of our world. But our hope is anchored in the long-term security of Jesus’ coming kingdom.

Psalm 134

“Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord” (1). The psalm encourages the priests and Levites assigned to “night duty” in the Temple to “lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord” (2). In the quiet hours when no one is watching, when there is no spectacle or distraction, there is a special opportunity to give worship and attention to the Maker of heaven of earth (3).

“All you servants of the Lord”: through Christ we are not only servants, but the stones of the Temple itself, where God dwells (Ephesians 2). In our quiet hours, by day or night, we are called to worship Him.

Psalm 133

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (1). This simple psalm reminds us that God’s desire – and one of His greatest blessings – is that His people are united in love and purpose. The Old Testament and New Testament agree that it is impossible to love God while hating people made in His image (Lev 19:18; I John 3:23). Coming together in mutual respect, affection, and trust, centered on the Lord, we experience a special outpouring of God’s presence, like the anointing on Aaron the priest (2).

“For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore” (3). The ‘abundant’ life we seek is centered on the Lord and deeply connected to other people – now, and for eternity (Rev 21:3).

Ezekiel 3-5

“Whoever will listen let them listen, and whoever will refuse let them refuse” (3:27). Ezekiel was given a message from God that the Babylonians, who had already taken many Jews into exile, would soon besiege and totally destroy Jerusalem. To make it clear, God ordered Ezekiel to act out what was coming. Ezekiel built a model of besieged Jerusalem, he lay on his side for weeks to “bear” their sins, he ate rationed, unclean food, and he shaved and burned his hair (ch 4) - all to warn the people of coming judgment.

“Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them” (3:4). God points out sin and warns us clearly because He desires that we choose life.

Ezekiel 1-2

“...While I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God” (1:1). The prophet Ezekiel received visions not in Israel, but “among the exiles” who had been taken to Babylon. There, far away from the Temple, Ezekiel saw visions of “four living creatures”, great moving “wheels”, and, on a heavenly throne, a man with “the likeness of the glory of the Lord” (1:28). God’s voice was clear in Babylon.

“Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him” (1:28). God’s radiance, His presence, was not limited to Jerusalem. Whether we are settled or unsettled, at home or in exile, at peace or in trouble, He speaks.

Lamentations 4-5

“The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the peoples of the world, that enemies and foes could enter the gates of Jerusalem” (4:12). The beauty and joy of Jerusalem had been destroyed, “and it happened because of the sins of her prophets” and people (4:13). Because the Israelites took their God- given security for granted, they were shocked when their idolatry opened the door to destruction. The Babylonians’ two-year siege of the city ended with unspeakable violence (4:10).

“Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return” (5:21). Turning away from God to chase the world’s idols risks the destruction of all that is precious to us (John 10:10). But through Christ, God offers forgiveness and to restore the ruins.

James 4

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” (1). James tells us that when we are undecided about which kingdom we serve, this tension produces conflicts. We fight with one another, and we pray with “wrong motives” because our hearts are not aligned with God (1-3). James paints the choice clearly: to be a “friend of the world” is to be an enemy of God, because the values, goals, and methods of the world are opposite of God’s (4-9).

“Come near to God, and He will come near to you” (8). Rather than the misery of being “double-minded”, God calls us to throw ourselves completely on Him, and He will “lift us up” (10).

James 3

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom” (13). James teaches that the mark of people filled with godly wisdom is that they treat others with consideration, mercy, and fairness – in sharp contrast to the world’s “normal” attitudes of selfish ambition and envy (13-16). Wise people understand the life- giving or life-destroying power of their words and use their speech to build others up, realizing that every human bears God’s image (2-12).

“Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness” (18). Daily, by how we speak and behave, we have the chance to “sow” into a future of peace and righteousness.

Psalm 132

“I will not enter my house or go to my bed ... till I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob” (3-5). This psalm remembers King David’s passionate desire to build a Temple where all Israel could worship God. His “self-denial” (1) was that he recognized his own limitations as king. God Himself, the true King of Kings, was the One who had chosen Zion and promised to defend, protect, and provide for them (13-16).

“I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her faithful people will ever sing for joy” (16). The King of Kings deserves to be the center of our hopes and purpose. When He is our focus, joy overflows.

Lamentations 3

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning ...” (22-23). When confronted with the terrible violence of the Babylonian attack on Jerusalem and the tragic conditions of a 2-year siege, Jeremiah clung to God’s compassion. He declared by faith: “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him (24). Jeremiah believed that the destruction and death all around him was not the end; God was still willing to forgive and show mercy.

“It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (26). When we trust God’s overflowing and powerful love, we can wait for Him, even when the present looks dark. He will not fail us.

Lamentations 1-2

“My eyes fail from weeping, I am in torment within; my heart is poured out on the ground because my people are destroyed” (2:11). Attributed to Jeremiah, Lamentations gives words to the suffering caused by sin – in this case, the destruction of Jerusalem. Jeremiah wept to see the results of human rebellion and the “false and worthless” visions of religious leaders (2:14). The city that was “the joy of the whole earth” was now a sign of judgment (2:15).

“Your wound is as deep as the sea. Who can heal you?” (2:13). Sin can result in wounds so deep and complex that we feel hopeless. But Jesus bore our sins and sorrows in His own body, so we can be healed.

Jeremiah 51-52

“He is the Maker of all things, including the people of his inheritance” (ch 51). Through Jeremiah, God called His people to repent and remember Him as Creator and Shepherd. Instead, they followed Babylon’s example of running after false gods. “Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. The images he makes are a fraud ...” Tragically, when Judah (like Babylon) put their trust in themselves and their idols, they were doomed to destruction (ch 51).

“He made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom” (51:15). We don’t have to rely on worldly images of power and success (idols) that will fail. We can put our whole confidence in the Maker of the universe.

Jeremiah 49-50

“In those days ... the people of Israel and the people of Judah together will go in tears to seek the Lord their God” (50:4). Jeremiah prophesied that God would use the present disasters to change the hearts of His people. Because of their sins, they were a “scattered flock” attacked by enemies, but one day they would “ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it” (50:4-5). God, the true Shepherd (50:44), promised to forgive this “remnant” and lead them to a new life (50:20).

“Yet their Redeemer is strong; the Lord Almighty is his name” (50:34). Our Redeemer is stronger than the pressures we face, our mistakes, and the bondage of sin. When we seek Him, He comes to our rescue.

James 2

“You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did” (22). James warns us against a verbal proclamation of faith that is shallow and useless (17). Real faith, he explains, means trusting God by putting our lives into His hands – like Abraham risking his son, or Rahab choosing God’s people (21, 25). ‘Faith’ is not an idea about God; even demons believe He exists (19). Scriptural faith involves a radical change of heart that sets us walking in a new direction.

Accepting Christ’s grace for ourselves (“the law that gives freedom”) includes seeing others in a new light. As redeemed people, we speak and act out of grace-filled hearts (12).

James 1

“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (4). James links going through hardships with the development of wisdom (5), when we allow God to work in us during our trials. As we develop godly wisdom, we learn the difference between short-term satisfactions that lead to trouble (13-15) and the true good gifts of God (17). Rather than reacting irritably to criticism, provoking conflict, we learn to be “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (19).

“Every good and perfect gift is from above ...” (17). God, who brings life from death, can take the suffering of our trials and bring about good - such as increased patience, wisdom, and maturity.