UPROOTED

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of abundant water. Its branches were strong, fit for a ruler’s scepter. It towered high above the thick foliage, conspicuous for its height and for its many branches.”

“But it was uprooted in fury and thrown to the ground. The east wind made it shrivel, it was stripped of its fruit; its strong branches withered and fire consumed them. Now it is planted in the desert, in a dry and thirsty land. Fire spread from one of its main branches and consumed its fruit. No strong branch is left on it fit for a ruler’s scepter.”

“This is a lament and is to be used as a lament.”

Ezekiel 19:10-14

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Let’s be honest. Nearly every person wants to have a life that is successful and carefree. They want to be healthy, happy, and prosperous. They want a life that can be seen as fruitful and flourishing by those who are on the outside looking in.

How do we get to life like this?

We find the answer in the closing verses of Ezekiel 19 as we examine the life lived by the Israelites. Look again at that scripture passage here:

“Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of abundant water. Its branches were strong, fit for a ruler’s scepter. It towered high above the thick foliage, conspicuous for its height and for its many branches.”

“But it was uprooted in fury and thrown to the ground. The east wind made it shrivel, it was stripped of its fruit; its strong branches withered and fire consumed them. Now it is planted in the desert, in a dry and thirsty land. Fire spread from one of its main branches and consumed its fruit. No strong branch is left on it fit for a ruler’s scepter.”

“This is a lament and is to be used as a lament.”  Ezekiel 19:10-14

What we have here in essence is a tale of two generations of the same group of people, the people who God chose to be His own.

Note what happened in the first instance.

That generation of Israelites was obedient to God and followed His word, will, and way. They made His way their way and His desires theirs. They honored and respected God with the way they lived, seeking to bring Him glory in everything they did.

As a result, God blessed them for they are represented by the vine planted by the water in the scriptural illustration in Ezekiel, a vine that thrived, bore great fruit, and was full of branches. It was healthy and alive and strong, towering high above thick foliage, distinguished from any other plant life.

This was Israel. Powerful among all the nations because they dedicated themselves to God and, in turn, God dedicated Himself to them. And while living in God’s favor and blessing, the nation of Israel found themselves successful, safe, and protected. Life was good within the land God had given them.

But then things changed.

Another generation of Israelites took over and their attitude toward God could not have been more different. These Israelites decided to turn from God and instead give their devotion to false gods and idols in direct violation of God’s commands. Wickedness became the lifestyle of the day and the people of God were anything but. They didn’t hesitate to sin openly in His sight.

And so God changed His attitude toward them as well. For if they were going to abandon Him, dishonoring Him with their detestable, evil practices, then the Israelites would find out how it would feel to be disregarded, turned away from, and violated. Their lives would become as dry and dead as their faith life had become.

What actions did God take against this sinful generation?

For starters, He took a hold of the vine that was once healthy and flourishing and uprooted it in fury, His wrath stoked by the sinfulness of His people. He then threw the vine to the ground where it would be vulnerable and at risk of perishing. Gone was the abundant water source, representing God’s favor and provision, and the vine (the Israelites) faced a harsh and destructive east wind (the Babylonians) who came along and caused the vine to shrivel and be stripped of its fruit, its strong branches withering and set afire. This destruction represented the Babylonian attack on Judah and Jerusalem which left both the kingdom and city devastated and left in ruins.

As for the Israelites who survived the Babylonian attack (represented by a part of the vine that survived), they were taken into exile in Babylon, planted by God in the desert, a “dry and thirsty” land. There was no strong branch left.

It’s little wonder why this story is a lament, a story with a sad ending, a story that underscores the sorrow and sadness the Israelites would endure for seventy years while in Babylonian captivity.

Go back to the opening of this devotion. If you want to have a life that flourishes, a life that is planted near a source of abundant, life-giving water, then stay connected to the Lord Jesus, making His ways your ways, His will your will, His word the word you live by.

It’s the only way you can ensure that you will have life now and forever (John 11:25), never having to worry about being uprooted and destroyed forever in the fire of judgment that will come when Jesus returns to gather His own (Revelation 20:15).

Amen

In Christ,

Mark
PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com