EZEKIEL 48:35 – The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There.”
THEME OF THE DAY. THE LORD IS THERE. The Old Testament book of Ezekiel is a difficult book to read and understand, not impossible, but challenging. There are visions of wheels and created beings that stretch our minds and imaginations. The book is also full of graphic judgments against disobedient nations. As one reads God’s righteous anger and wrath poured out on heathen nations, it causes one to ponder how long God will withhold such against our pagan and rebellious nation. Ezekiel is a serious prophetic book which should not be ignored by believers because of its difficulties. Yet, this book is not without hope. Showing up through the catastrophic judgments of God upon nations, even upon His own rebellious people, there is hope. God never leaves a generation, no matter how wayward, without hope of His grace, forgiveness, and restoration. Yes, the price to pay for forgiveness and restoration is steep; painful confession and repentance, but still hope exists. And how fitting that today’s scripture is the last verse in this lengthy Old Testament book. And how fitting this book of judgment ends with four words of hope – The Lord is there.
In the course of living the Christian life, the most comforting truth we may embrace are these four words – The Lord is there. There are four times we will experience the comfort of this truth.
When times of deep sorrow overcome us as we stand over the grave of a departed loved one, The Lord is there is our comfort. When times of intense trials come into our lives weakening our resolve to trust God’s mysterious ways, The Lord is there is our comfort. When circumstances seem to never change dragging us into deep pits of discouragement, The Lord is there is our comfort. And when situations in our lives cause us pain and confusion, The Lord is there is our comfort.
But these are not just “spiritual words” sounding good. No, there is so much more behind the words The Lord is there. Within the words are the promises of His Presence and power, and these promises are true – always. For sure, we will not always feel His Presence and power, but faith believes, then relies upon the certainty of these promises being truth. And as we go through the difficult seasons of the Christian life, we will know more and more the reality of The Lord is there. We will look back at every sorrow, every trial, every circumstance, and every situation realizing the Lord really was there. We may not feel the force of the truth in these words The Lord is There, but as we look back, our faith will be strengthened because despite the wavering faith we had wondering if the Lord is there, He proved Himself to be there. What a great source of comfort to know, believe, and rely upon the closing words of the book of Ezekiel – The Lord is There. It will be comfort that lasts and enables us to handle all the mysterious twists and turns in life this side of heaven.
PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for being always Present in my life, even in the darkest of times.”
QUOTE: “We will encounter no trial, circumstance, or situation where God is not present to help us.”