Daily Devotional

September 19th, 2023
by Pastor Greg Warmerdam

“And you, son of man…”
Ezekiel 4:4–6 - “Then lie on your left side, and place the punishment of the house of Israel upon it. For the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their punishment. For I assign to you a number of days, 390 days, equal to the number of the years of their punishment. So long shall you bear the punishment of the house of Israel. And when you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the punishment of the house of Judah. Forty days I assign you, a day for each year.” (ESV)

Let us not get too smug about the knowledge of God we possess. It is my God, and yours, who appeared to Ezekiel in glory—a compelling and overwhelming vision. Not too long after, he received these instructions.

Lie on your left side for a year and one month (390 days).
Then do it again on your right side for 40 days.
Eat only very limited bread and water, by measure.
Bake your bread in Israel’s sight over cow dung (a concession!).
I will tie you down with cords until those days are done.

Do we still want to be prophets? Have a compelling visitation by Him?

If the instructions given to Ezekiel astonish us, what of the love of God? How much do we know it, if Ezekiel’s instructions seem beyond our comprehension? The furthest star seen by the Hubble telescope is purported to be 28 billion light years away. There will be others still further. If this is so, how great is His love? How wonderful His salvation? How invisible and unknown to us most of His works?

How do we know such a One? How worship Him? How serve Him?

For this one thing we have been called, that we might know Him. And knowing Him, that we might make Him known. His love, His salvation, His way.

What pursuit on earth equals this? Let us not be listless in our faith. Let us not draw our lines, and say to ourselves, “That’s it! That’s God!”

What will He say to us, if we seek Him? What will He reveal to us? What will He ask us to do?

Blessed be the Lord, who has invited us into His world, and to join Him in His work! In His love! Today. Tomorrow. Every day.

And you, son of man…

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