Hosea 6:2 “After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence”

This is my favorite time of year because the leaves seem to paint the landscape of God’s handiwork with vibrant greens, oranges, yellows, and reds.

But the beauty of fall passes quickly, as the leaves fall from their branches and become debris under our feet, that’s has no purpose but to be raked up and thrown away.

But the dead, falling leaves are a precursor to something beautiful. They form a carpet on the ground that slowly decays, enriching the soil and feeding the trees they just abandoned. The death of the leaves makes it possible for new leaves—new life—to appear in the spring.

God’s judgment had ripped Israel to shreds, but Hosea assured the nation new life was on its way. The trials would kill off those things that stood between the nation and its God.

The trials would allow God to breathe new life into Israel. As you observe this fall, consider what needs to die in your own life in order to renew you in Christ.

Prayer Suggestion: God, show me what must die so that I can live in Your presence.

Daniel 12:10 “Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand”

Have you ever been, “Stuck”. One of the definitions of stuck is remaining in a static condition, or failing to progress. Our scripture details a group of people that are stuck in a wicked state.

People get up everyday of their lives stuck in a job, stuck in a relationship, stuck in their marriage. Being Stuck is not what God desire for his children. God designed everything to move and not stand still, including your relationship with him.

Here’s an alarming fact, two-thirds of those released from prison will be arrested again within a few years. Many prisoners reform, but sadly, most—are stuck in a life that will ultimately destroy them.

The Word of God tells us that we have all sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God, and until we are made spotless by the redemptive work Jesus did on Calvary for our sins, we will continue to do so. God’s love purifies and refines us.

If we are wise enough to accept that gift, He can and will free us from the destructive patterns of our sin.

Thought for Today: The Cross of Calvary is the key that unlocks the cell where sin has imprisoned us.

Daniel 9:15 “Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong”

We live in a society where CEOs and politicians want to acknowledge wrongdoing but don’t want to accept blame. They’ll point fingers as long as no fingers are pointed at them.

Daniel, crying out to God on behalf of all Israel, made no excuses about who made the mistakes that destroyed Jerusalem.

Daniel made no attempt to “pass the buck,” freely admitting that Israel collectively had made mistakes. Still, the prophet appealed to the Lord’s “great mercy” knowing by faith that God would provide rescue.

Our rescue came in the form of Jesus, who died to ensure that we would no longer have to bear the burden of sin alone. Scripture tells us that if we confess our sins—accepting the responsibility for our wrongdoing—our God promises forgiveness.

Challenge for Today: God can not forgive that which we are not willing to confess!

Daniel 6:20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”

The Old Testament prophet Daniel, as chief counselor to the Persian king Darius, aroused the envy of the other royal ministers. Conspiring against the young Hebrew, they forced the king into condemning Daniel to a den of lions.

King Darius had given no thought to Daniel when he was tricked into signing the decree that would put Daniel in danger. It was the ultimate offense, being unjustly sentenced to death.

As Daniel approached the lions’ den he had a choice to make: become embittered by the injustice and state his own case to the King or rest in God’s defense and vindication. He chose the latter.

Daniel’s vindication came overnight when God delivered him from the mouth of the lions.

Thought for Today: Trust in the fact that God always takes care of those, who honor him.

Daniel 3:28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God”

The three Hebrew boys did something that no one else had the guts to do. They refused to bow down and worship another God. When the decree was given these boys had a spirit of rebellion. A spirit that said we will not bow down to you image.

A spirit that said, Our God is able to deliver us out of the fiery furnace, but even if he doesn’t we’re still not worshipping the image you have set up. The church today needs that kind of spirit once more. Not a spirit of rebellion against God, your pastor, or even your parents, but a Spirit of rebellion against the temptation of the enemy.

God was honored by the stand taken by these three young men. In response God protected them in a furnace that had been heated seven times hotter than usual.

This same fire had taken the lives of those who threw the three young men into the fire. Yet in the midst of that fire, they were miraculously kept safe.

We need to never forget that when we honor God at the cost of personal risk, God will protect us from the enemy’s threat and bring glory to himself.

Challenge for Today: Sometimes we have to go through the fire in order to see the Savior.

Ezekiel 44:28 “I am to be the only inheritance the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession”

Unfortunately in our world, mourning the loss of a loved one who has died is often interrupted by disagreements concerning the distribution of an inheritance. Wills are sometimes contested, lawyers are obtained, and court battles that divide families ensue.

There was one group of people, the priests, that the Lord determined beforehand would never have this concern. God declared that they were not to be given an inheritance in the land.

He wanted to give this group of people whom He had called to minister in His sanctuary something far greater. He wanted to give them himself.

Listen friends as believers in Christ, we are told in 1 Peter 2:9 that we are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God”. Therefore our inheritance stored up in heaven is far greater than we could even begin to fathom.

Prayer Suggestion: Dear Lord, I pray that You will open my eyes to see the rich inheritance I have in Christ Jesus.

Ezekiel 39:25 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will now bring Jacob back from captivity and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name”

Did your parents ever say, or have you as a parent ever said, “This is going to hurt me more than it does you?” Even though it hurt, the discipline was carried out for the child’s own good, and today most are grateful for the correction it provided.

Sometimes, God had to discipline the Children of Israel for their unfaithfulness by allowing them to be taken into captivity.

However, that was never the end of the story for Israel, neither is it the end of the story for His children today. When God’s prescribed discipline has fulfilled its purpose in our lives

He will once again demonstrate His compassion and provide for the restoration of those things withheld during the season of correction.

God’s name will receive glory as we walk in obedience to His Word, and delight in the mercy and compassion He extends to us when we repent.

Thought for Today: By responding to God’s correction, I will experience His comfort.

Ezekiel 43:22-23 “On the second day you are to offer a male goat without defect for a sin offering, and the altar is to be purified as it was purified with the bull. When you have finished purifying it, you are to offer a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without defect”

Do you recognize a familiar theme sewn throughout these verses? Whatever the sacrifice, the requirement was the same. It had to be offered “without defect.”

This requirement was demanded by God with good reason. The sacrifice was to be a “type” or a “picture” of the perfect sacrifice that would come as the atonement for the sin of all people.

In the fullness of time God would reveal His only begotten Son to the world. Jesus was the only perfect sacrifice that could be offered on behalf of humanity, to restore us to a Holy God.

Today, it is because of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice, the pouring out of His own innocent blood, that we have access to God through faith in Jesus’ work on the cross.

Because of that access you can go boldly to the Throne of Grace without fear of rejection. Thanks to Jesus we who have faults can go to a God with none.

Thought for Today: God loved me so much that He gave, a sacrifice without defect, His Son Jesus.

Ezekiel 37:5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life”

I’ve often wondered what went through Ezekiel’s mind when God asked him, “Can these bones live?” It must have seemed hopeless. Nothing is as hopeless as a bone yard.

Ezekiel’s only answer was, “You know.”

Ezekiel’s sense of reality was limited. What mankind experiences is real, but it is still limited. God’s reality is infinitely greater than ours

He is not hindered by the limited perception of humanity. The bone yard seemed hopeless to Ezekiel, until God got involved. God can and will infuse new life into any situation if we only believe.

We cannot be discouraged by what appears to be a hopeless situation. We must have faith in God. Faith opens the door to the greater reality, a reality augmented by God’s direct involvement.

God involves himself in unseen ways. While God’s breath was invisible, the result was obvious when the bones came back to life.

Prayer Suggestion: Lord, breathe fresh insight, encouragement, and creativity into me today.

Ezekiel 34:12 “As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on the day of clouds and darkness”

Not too long ago, my son had come home from school and was worn out. His little body was not used to going to school all day without a nap. I remember him coming home and lying on the couch wanting to go to sleep.

As my daughters did them homework and we resumed our normal activity we noticed it was real quite in the house. I called to my wife and asked her if she had seen him, and she hadn’t. We called his name and no answer, we panic, thinking he might have gone outside without us knowing.

We ran outside desperately looking for him. Fear began to set in when we could find him. Then my wife said, here he is. My son was found in his bed under the covers sound asleep. He was Oblivious to us calling and diligently seeking for him.

For a brief moment I thought I had lost a child, but then I was quickened that God has many lost children. The way we look for our children when their lost is the same way God looks for His. Listen my friend you and I have an opportunity to be involved in helping bring God’s lost children home.

Knowing God’s great love for the lost should motivate every believer to reach out to the lost with the love of Christ.

Prayer Suggestion: Lord, help me reach one more of your lost children.

Ezekiel 24:14 “I the Lord have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will not have pity, nor will I relent. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declares the Sovereign Lord”

Does it ever seem to you that God ignores the evil around us? News accounts show murders, spousal and child abuse, and a general disregard for human life.

It can become very easy to be discouraged and wonder if God is aware of these things or if He even cares. Ezekiel discovered that God is aware of injustice in the world and will act.

Christians can trust that God will be just; He will not ignore sin nor the righteous acts of His people. Those who reject God’s Laws will be held accountable for their actions.

Listen my friend, Our God is caring, He is loving, He is faithful, but he’s also Righteous, and when he says he will deal with the wicked, rest assure he will deal with the wicked!

But before that time comes God will reach out in mercy, asking people to receive His free offer of salvation through His son Jesus Christ. He wants the world to hear the gospel and wants us to proclaim the good news to them through our lives and our words.

Thought for Today: Believers should consider that God is perfectly just in His dealings with all people.

Ezekiel 22:7 “In you they have treated father and mother with contempt; in you they have oppressed the alien and mistreated the fatherless and the widow”

Early in my ministry I got to see a lot of churches and meet a lot of people. I remember this one church in particular I was preaching at, a woman had walked in off the streets obviously needing some kind of assistance.

At the end of the service the woman walked out and we never saw her again. Later that evening I was talking with the Leadership, and they said, “We don’t need people like that in our church!” I can tell you that my heart was broken!

My friend we are called to be the hands and feet of Christ. Who are we to pick and choose who comes to Jesus! Every nation, Every tongue, Every Creed deserves the opportunity to have a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ.

God always has and always will expect His people to show respect to their parents and treat aliens, the fatherless, and widows with compassion. Believers today have the opportunity to reach out to people with the love of Christ.

When believers look past their own personal bias, they can begin to see people with a love only God can give them. Showing love and compassion to people who might otherwise be looked down upon will demonstrate to the lost that God really loves them.

Prayer for Today: God help me to see through your eyes, touch through hands, walk through you feet, speak with your mouth and love with your heart!

Ezekiel 21:26 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says, Take off the turban, remove the crown. It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low”

There was a time in my life when I full of my own importance that I did not notice those around me. I remember working for a Communications company as a business developer.

My job was to fly into an untapped city and begin developing a business market for our product. The company was sponsoring a sales contest for the most new markets created. I was competing against other business developers across the nation.

I thought for sure I had the sales contest in the bag, when the results were tabulated at the end of the contest, I was shocked to discover I had finished near the bottom in total sales.

I learned a difficult lesson about humility. Listen Humility isn’t about thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.

Judah learned humility through their conquest at the hand of the Babylonians. Their position of power gave way to their new status of captives.

God spared some of the most humble citizens by allowing them to stay with their fields and vineyards.

God wants His people to practice a lifestyle of humility. We as believers should live in such a way that our lives point others to salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer Suggestion: Ask God to help you exalt Him to those around you.

Ezekiel 18:25 Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is not just.” Hear, O house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

We live in a complicated world. Why do people do the things they do? Why don’t they take action when they should? Everybody has their own perspective, and there are so many angles from which they view the world.

Some people judge God as unfair. They think He should act more quickly. Sometimes they say He doesn’t act at all.

God knows what people say. He sees things from every angle and sees them all at the same time. His ways are fair and He acts based on what He knows and not on our limited perspective.

His wisdom and insight are infinitely greater than ours could ever be. We have to learn to trust God because He sees things perfectly and acts accordingly.

If a man waits to fully understand God before he trusts Him, he will have a long wait. He will never know all that God knows, nor will he have God’s perspective. Where a person doesn’t understand, he has to trust God.

Thought for Today: God will always do the right thing.

Ezekiel 12:3“Therefore, son of man pack your belongings for exile and in the daytime, as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another place. Perhaps they will understand…

I remember when my girls were little, my middle daughter got a swing set for her birthday. It was in the middle of December and it was cold and rainy.

My wife asked me to put the swing set together and of course I said okay, what I thought would be easy turned out to be a 4 hour ordeal.

My ears, face and fingers were frozen and numb, I couldn’t feel anything much less turn a wrench, so I improvised and began to cut corners, I was using nuts and bolts in places they didn’t belong, taking from part and using in another.

From the outside appearance it looked great, but when spring rolled around that following year, I was watching my daughter play on her birthday present and all of a sudden, the swing she was on took flight and came off of the swing set.

My daughter wasn’t hurt but my short cuts were made known. Why did the swing come off, because I failed to follow the instructions that came with it.

Ya know our lives have instructions as well, God used the prophet Ezekiel to warn the nation of Israel about the impending exile. God wants everyone to heed His instructions. That is why He gave us the Bible and placed pastors and teachers in our lives. God has also given us His Holy Spirit as a guide to direct us in His instructions.

Challenge for Today: Make it a point to read the instruction manual that God has given us and follow it to a T.

Ezekiel 8:4 There before me was the glory of the God of Israel, as in the vision I had seen in the plain

What can we do when we our vision is defective? Thankfully, we live in a time that offers many solutions to improve vision.

Surgery, contacts , glasses, and even certain exercises help people to see what they need to see in life.

Though He didn’t use any of these man-made devices, God wanted to make sure Ezekiel saw what he needed to see.

Ezekiel needed to see the spiritual state of Israel from God’s perspective. God planned to deal with Israel’s sin.

He wanted to make sure Ezekiel gave Israel a clear warning of what would happen as well as instructions for those who would listen to those warnings.

Like Ezekiel, we need to spend time in God’s presence and glory to allow Him to adjust our spiritual focus and clarify our spiritual vision.

Through prayer, meditation on the Word, and worship we place ourselves in a position to allow God to help us see things from His perspective.

Prayer Suggestion: Lord, help me see Your truths with greater clarity.

Ezekiel 7:2 “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says to the Land of Israel: The end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land”

Israel needed to know who was in charge. The nation had trusted in material possessions, pagan practices, and immoral acts while ignoring God’s Laws.

God wanted to bless them so that all other nations would see the incredible blessings they received. However, Israel had ignored God and was about to discover that God would punish their actions.

God expected obedience from His people then and He still does today. As the sovereign Lord He knows how we should live to have the fullest and best lives possible.

He also knows those things that will prevent us from enjoying the life He has meant for us to have. When we understand God wants the best for our lives, it becomes much easier to listen to Him and do what He tells us to do.

We must examine our lives to determine whether or not we are obeying His expectations to the fullest and not just what fits our lives. Let us examine the character of our hearts today.

Thought for Today: Half obedience is still full disobedience