salvation – Page 2 – Be Still…

Ezekiel 3:16-27 – Such Great Responsibility

Read Ezekiel 3:16-27

Ezekiel surely had a lot to think about over those seven days. It would seem his assignment is all but hopeless. This reading picks up after that week of Ezekiel’s reflection. He had taken time to deal with how overwhelmed he must have felt. Notice how Ezekiel is cared for and given good instructions.

Despite the divine communication, I can almost feel the pressure Ezekiel faced in making sure he never ignored a message from God, no matter how difficult it might be. God had deemed it wise to give Ezekiel this great responsibility. Even the spirit promised to help him not say the wrong thing when provoked by the rebels. Continue reading “Ezekiel 3:16-27 – Such Great Responsibility”

Daniel 6:19-28 – Happy Endings

Read Daniel 6:19-28

Daniel trusted God with his life. God showed up and closed the mouths of the lions. Those lions had to be hungry because our passage tells us, in descriptive fashion, how the people thrown in the den right after Daniel were devoured. Isn’t our God amazing?

We’re told the king went to the lion’s den “very early” the next morning to check on Daniel. We were told in our last reading that the king couldn’t sleep and spent the night fasting. Clearly, he was distraught with having to place his asset, Daniel, in harm’s way. Continue reading “Daniel 6:19-28 – Happy Endings”

Daniel 4:19-27 – What to Believe

Read Daniel 4:19-27

Banished from society to live like an animal doesn’t sound like a pleasant way to spend “seven periods of time.” We’re not told what a “period” was. This message may be speaking of days or years, and the ramifications would be so different.

Daniel didn’t want to share the message from the Most High God at first. Do you think he was afraid Nebuchadnezzar would retaliate in some way or have Daniel put to death? After all, Nebuchadnezzar was a powerful king, and he could make Daniel’s life miserable. Continue reading “Daniel 4:19-27 – What to Believe”

Ecclesiates 6:10-12 – What’s Your Future?

Read Ecclesiastes 6:10-12

This passage oozes with the notion of predestination. That’s a “churchy” word meaning different things to different people. Known as a Christian doctrine for some denominations, it has been debated by theologians for centuries. Basically, it means that God has figured everything out ahead of time, knows what’s going to happen in our lives, and there is nothing we can do to change it. Does that give you assurance or scare you just a little bit?

In terms of our salvation, however, this can be a bit unnerving. What if God didn’t “choose” me to be saved? I have a hard time believing that some people of faith would not be saved because they weren’t “predestined.” After all, Jesus commanded us to evangelize and make new disciples. Why would he do that if it was already predestined who would be saved?

Ecclesiastes 4:1-6 – Oppression

Read Ecclesiastes 4:1-6

Are you feeling oppressed today? Oppression is defined by Oxford Languages as “prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or control.” Solomon was observing such behaviors in his day, too. As king, you would think he could have some control over how his subjects were being treated. The powers of evil were clearly at work then, as well as now.

It’s not pleasant to endure hardship, whether it’s oppression or otherwise. To believe we’d be better off dead is a bit “dark” don’t you think? It helps to remember that Solomon had drifted away from God and was relying on the gods of his many wives late in life. For those living on their own, hardship and oppression must be unbearable.