Holy Spirit – Be Still…

Luke 3:7-18 – John’s Message

Read Luke 3:7-18

We met John in our last Advent reading. His preaching was certainly no nonsense as he prepared the people to meet Jesus. By this time, Jesus was all grown up. You may recall earlier in Luke when John’s mother, Elizabeth, was visited by Jesus’ mother, Mary, while pregnant with Jesus. Even while in his mother’s womb, John couldn’t stay still in Jesus’ presence. John could sense even then that Jesus was someone to be honored and celebrated.

How does John describe Jesus in this passage? As someone “greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals.” Imagine having grown up as cousins with Jesus, the Messiah. For others to be ready to meet the Messiah, the people needed to act. Here, John gives them tangible examples of changes they should make to be ready for Jesus. Continue reading “Luke 3:7-18 – John’s Message”

Ezekiel 37:1-14 – Them Dry Bones

Read Ezekiel 37:1-14

This passage is one of those memorable ones we always recognize and associate with Ezekiel. If you’re like me, you have the “Dry Bones Song” going through your head, recalling how all the bones connect and then walk around. The lyrics say Ezekiel tells us to “hear the word of the Lord!” That’s exactly what Ezekiel was doing – hearing and listening to God, and then taking action by doing what God says.

This is another one of those “transporting” visions where Ezekiel is whisked away. This time he is standing in the middle of a valley with dried up bones scattered all around him. What do you think Ezekiel was thinking in this moment before the teachable moment he received from God? Continue reading “Ezekiel 37:1-14 – Them Dry Bones”

Ezekiel 15:1-8 – Wood of the Vine

Read Ezekiel 15:1-8

Normally, when we think about a vine in Biblical terms, we imagine it bearing fruit or talking about Jesus, the “true vine.” Yet Ezekiel’s message is not dealing with fruit at all, In fact, the LORD surprisingly said, “Vines are useless both before and after being put into the fire!”

Other Biblical references speak of the “fruit of the vine” or bearing fruit, but Ezekiel’s vines don’t appear to be fruitful. When compared to a mighty tree of the forest, the wood of a vine would be pretty wimpy or useless for tasks known to be handled well by other wood sources, like trees. Continue reading “Ezekiel 15:1-8 – Wood of the Vine”

Ezekiel 12:1-20 – Knowing God

Read Ezekiel 12:1-20

What does it take for us to recognize and know the LORD? We might recognize God moving in a lot of things, like an exquisite sunset or rescue from a tragedy or answered prayer. But how do we know God? For us, we can take Paul’s counsel in Colossians 1:15a which says, “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.” We can start knowing God by knowing Jesus as our Savior.

God seems intent on being known in this vision. He’s certainly making Ezekiel jump through some hoops to make that message tangible for the people to grasp. If the people can witness the future before it happens, that should open their eyes to recognize God’s hand. Just one more way to effectively get his message across. Continue reading “Ezekiel 12:1-20 – Knowing God”

Ezekiel 1:15-28 – What About Those Wheels?

Ezekiel 1:15-28

While we can picture those wheels perfectly, let’s not get stuck on all the details and descriptions no matter how helpful. What is Ezekiel’s message telling us? If we look at the basics of what the wheels may signify, then what’s obvious is how the wheels make it possible to go anywhere, in any direction with ease and grace. Think about it! How much more efficient would we be if we looked at living our lives like that—always going in the right direction. Sky’s the limit to what we can accomplish, even how close we can draw to the heart of God!

If movement wasn’t enough, these darling wheels were also spirit-filled. We, too, can be spirit-filled when the Holy Spirit comes into our lives. I like Ezekiel’s image here, “When the living beings moved, the wheels moved with them.” Just like when we move, we surely hope the spirit is moving, too. Life is so much more rewarding with the Holy Spirit accompanying us. Continue reading “Ezekiel 1:15-28 – What About Those Wheels?”