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God reveals much about His goodness, mercy, character, and His Very Heart.
In verse 1 some of the Israelite leaders came to Ezekiel asking for guidance from God.
They wanted to get information as to how long it would be before things got better for Israel again.
with a stirring and direct message.
For much of the 20th chapter God told Israel that He was disgusted with their actions.
But in the verses that follow He says something very interesting that tells us about His Awesome Character.
It’s something we can depend on even today.
But they rebelled against me, wouldn’t listen to a word I said. None got rid of the vile things they were addicted to. They held on to the no-gods of Egypt as if for dear life. I seriously considered inflicting my anger on them in force right there in Egypt. Then I thought better of it. I acted out of who I was, not by how I felt. And I acted in a way that would evoke honor, not blasphemy, from the nations around them, nations who had seen me reveal myself by promising to lead my people out of Egypt. And then I did it. I led them out of Egypt into the desert.
But Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They didn’t follow my statutes. They despised my laws for living well and obediently in the way I had set out. And they totally desecrated my holy Sabbaths. I seriously considered unleashing my anger on them right there in the desert. But I thought better of it and acted out of who I was, not by what I felt, so that I might be honored and not blasphemed by the nations who had seen me bring them out.
In Verse 44 God speaks the same phrase again:
44. “But, dear Israel, you’ll also realize that I am GOD when I respond to you out of who I am, not by what I feel about the evil lives you’ve lived, the corrupt history you’ve compiled. Decree of God, the Master,”
God heard their plea and sent Moses to deliver them from the terrible oppression they faced living in Egypt.
They left Egypt and headed for the Promised Land.
But they didn’t listen to and obey God.
Instead of getting to the Promised Land in 2 years it took them 40 and cost them many lives lost and 38 extra years.
God had specifically chosen the land because of its beauty and fertile soil.
No other land could compare to its greatness and abundance.
They found clusters of grapes so large that it took two men to carry them by attaching the grapes to a pole and then each carrying one end of his shoulder.
God had greatly blessed the land.
The nations around Israel worshipped many heathen gods – one for each area of their lives.
They had small statues that symbolized each false god in prominent places in their homes.
They wanted to appease these gods so they could have a good life.
He wanted to use the Israelites to show the nations around them that He was more powerful than their false gods.
The Israelites were to live a completely different life and be a blazing torch that shone brightly for truth.
Then there would be no doubt about the identity of the One True God.
The Israelites never grasped the fact that they MUST abandon their old way of life in order to accept this new and better way God had planned for them.
They had become so ingrained in the old way that they didn’t want to open their hearts and minds to a change for the better.
Many times the old way of thinking and doing things has been extinct and outdated for a long time.
Even though it doesn’t work any more, we still continue to cling to it hoping that it will suddenly and miraculously start working again.
This seems easier than accepting change when you don’t know where it will lead.
when they lived in Egypt.
They were so miserable from terrible oppression by the Egyptians that they cried out to God for deliverance.
He heard their cries and sent Moses.
But now in the wilderness God was not doing things exactly like they thought He should do them.
They chose to only remember the good things that had been in Egypt.
They seemed to have quickly forgotten about their miserable existence as slaves who had absolutely no rights.
This terrible existence is what had made them cry out to God in the first place.
But you can’t tell God how to bring about your deliverance.
What is deep-down inside your heart will always come out when you least expect it.
For Christians to live so those around them desire what they have. SO…
When things happen that you don’t expect,
when a friend lets you down,
when something disappointing or devastating happens,
always respond out of who you are, not what you feel.
the Holy Spirit immediately starts to work in your life to help you grow and mature as a Christian at a deeper level.
Most of the time the way this happens is for God to send things your way that you can’t handle on your own.
Then you will decide if you will run to God or run away and try to handle things on your own.
mature you to the point that your feelings don’t control how you act.
Then you can act based on the wisdom you already have.
And immediately pray for more specific wisdom to handle the situation in a way that is pleasing to God.
Then you don’t have to look back with any regret.
something unexpected happens…
BE SURE TO ACT OUT OF WHO YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU FEEL!
To read the blog post click on the link below:
http://who-god-is.com/act-out-of-who-you-are-not-what-you-feel
Cathy Deaton
Fan the Flame Ministries LLC
#whogodisblog
whogodis.com
©2014
