Ezekiel 11
Find Hope in the Face of Unexpected Death!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, June 14.
Have you ever experienced the shock of a sudden and unexpected death? The prophet had this experience in Ezekiel 11:13, “Now it came about as I prophesied, that Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, ‘Alas, Lord God! Will You bring the remnant of Israel to a complete end?’” Even though the prophet was already battle-hardened by the great suffering of the people at the hands of the Babylonians, he was still shocked by the unexpected death of one of their leaders. In response, Ezekiel fell on his face, bringing his anxiety and grief to God with prayers and supplications.
In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul taught the early followers of Jesus how to respond to the anxiety of their unexpected situations, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This was not a new way to handle the anxiety-producing experiences of life. We saw Ezekiel doing it, and how had God responded? The Lord guarded the prophet’s heart and mind with the promise of restoration for His people, which included the hope of the New Covenant in Ezekiel 11:19-20, “And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.”
Seize the moment and cry out to God when you experience an unexpected death, and He will restore unto you the hope of the resurrection (John 11:21-27).
God bless you!
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YOUTUBE:
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