Patiently Enduring

Scripture: Ezekiel 33; Ezekiel 34; Ezekiel 35; Revelation 18

Observation: Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?' 12 "Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, 'The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.' 13 If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered; he will die for the evil he has done. 14 And if I say to the wicked man, 'You will surely die,' but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right- 15 if he gives back what he took in pledge for a loan, returns what he has stolen, follows the decrees that give life, and does no evil, he will surely live; he will not die. 16 None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live. (Ezekiel 33:11-16, NIV).

Application: Many people who do not read the Bible but claim to be "experts" really misunderstand who God is. Some say that the God of the Old Testament and New Testament are two different gods. However, we know that they are the same God, who reveals himself in different ways. The OT he reveals himself as a loving Father who disciplines his children. In the NT he reveals himself through Jesus Christ, as Savior and redeemer. Yet, one thing remains constant throughout all of Scripture and that is God's patient love. I sometimes see God as a this angry old man who wants to strike me down every time I mess up. Yet that is a false image that needs to be repented of. Yes, the Lord is angry when I sin, but he is patient and wants me to come to repentance. Verse 11 of Ezekiel 33 shows that, "I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! " The NT puts it this way, "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." (2 Peter 3:9, ESV). The Lord is ever patient with us, even when we sin. He doesn't want anyone to spend eternity away from him, but wants us all to repent and turn to him. Martin Luther put it this way the first of his ninety-five theses, "When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said "Repent", He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance." The reason the Lord is patient with us, is because he is waiting for us to repent and trust him. That should be the first thing we do in the morning and the last thing we do at night: repent.

Prayer: Lord, You alone are worthy of praise, honor and glory. You are majestic and holy, deserving of my all. Father, I confess that I don't repent as often as I should. Repentance takes me humbling myself before your throne of grace and admitting that I cannot do this on my own. Which goes against everything that I am. Lord, I thank you for your patient love for me. You wait patiently for me to repent and trust you. It is only because of your patientence that I am where I am. If not for you, there is not telling where I would be. Father, give me the strength to humble myself before your throne and admit that I cannot do this by myself. I need you every moment of every day. Not just to be saved from sin, but from myself. It is when I trust myself that I go astray. Thank you for your grace, mercy and patient love, AMEN!