"This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Disaster! An unheard-of disaster is coming. The end has come! The end has come!" -- Ezekiel 7:5-6

When does the end come?  The question has lingered throughout history.  Ezekiel's vision was for Israel, but it wasn't the end for Israel.  Each generation has claimed the message for their time-- that they are the last.  And even still now, we cry out the end is near... global terror, global warming, increased population... wars and rumors of wars... is this the end?  And let's not forget the Mayan's and their calendar and December 2012... it's almost here... and what about Sandy?

The truth is, the end comes for each of us.  Whether all at once, or one at a time, we all go.  So the question isn't "is this the generation that will see the end?"  For the answer is already "yes".  Just as every generation of those which have passed saw the end.  The question shouldn't be about how and when  we will die, but instead, more about how and when we will live.

Readings:  Ezekiel 7:1-9:11; Hebrews 5:1-14; Psalm 105:1-15; Proverbs 26:28

"If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it; if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him." -- Proverbs 26:27

I love these ancient proverbs that speak to even our contemporary human condition.  They are the "you get what you ask for" proverbs... sayings that are such common sense you'd think we would have learned by now given we've been at it for thousands of years.  But we still dig pits, and we still take on more than we can handle. 

To flourish in this life and to live successfully, it's important that we not only recognize our abilities and all the things we can do... but to recognize our limitations as well.  When we can stretch, but not break, that seems to be the sweet spot of growth.  Besides, what would you dig a pit for anyway?  Here's a new one:  "don't bite off more than you can chew."

Readings:  Ezekiel 3:16-6:14; Hebrews 4:1-16; Psalm 104:24-35; Proverbs 26:27

"He said to me, 'Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.' As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me." --Ezekiel 2:1-2

The prophet Ezekiel signals a change.  Israel is beaten down, dejected, and even their collective memory is fading.  But Ezekiel's vision has the Lord conveying a message of promise and hope... and he says, "Stand up!" 

There are days when we just feel that life doesn't cut us a break.  We feel that fate is against us and we're all alone, and everyone else in the universe is loving life, and having a good time... everyone except for us.  We are stuck in a pit of worry, anxiety, despair, etc.  We feel weak and broken.  But God has a word for us too... and he begins with "stand up". 

Try this exercise... next time you're outside with some space around you, lie down on the ground and look to the horizon.  Your view is limited by the low vantage point of your position.  But take it in... consider closely what you can see.  Then stand up and look at the horizon again.  Do you see the difference?  Just by being verticle, you can see further ahead and further all around you.  When you're looking for a sign of hope for your life and your situation, you have to place yourself in such a position that you can see beyond the end of your immediate circumstance.  The landscape of our life changes.  We may spend time in the desert, but God has better in mind for us.

Readings:  Ezekiel 1:1-3:15; Hebrews 3:1-19; Psalm 104:1-23; Proverbs 26:24-26

"Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit..." -- Psalm 103:1-4a

Take a moment to just worship today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jYLTn4fKYQ


Readings:  Lamentation 4:1-5:22; Hebrews 2:1-18; Psalm 103:1-22; Proverbs 26:23

"Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry for help come to you. Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly." -- Psalm 102:1-2

People in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic parts of the US have had many sleepless hours as wind, rain, and snow have pounded them throughout the night... sometimes we think the storms in our lives will never cease.  But they will.  There will be times of calm, just as there are turbulent times.  It is remembering that we are not alone in the storm that helps us through it.  Pray to God in all times, so that you will be quick to remember that he is with you when the storms descend upon you.  My prayers go out to those weathering storms of all kinds.

Readings:  Lamentations 2:20-3:66; Hebrews 1:1-14; Psalm 102:1-28; Proverbs 26:21-22

"Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down." -- Proverbs 26:20

What in this life and in this world do you feed with your energy?  Whether it's your time, your money, your attention, or your presence, your engagement with the world feeds it.  You yourself are like tinder and oxygen to a fire.  What do you want to feed?  If you feed pettiness, drama, and cheap thrills, you will strengthen the influence and hold of things that do not build up, but instead tear down.  If, on the other hand, you feed things of beauty and worth, then your living itself will make the world a better place.  You have more power than you think.  Choose wisely that to which you give your life.

Readings:  Lamentations 2:20-3:66; Hebrews 1:1-14; Psalm 102:1-28; Proverbs 26:21-22

"Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, 'I was only joking!'" -- Proverbs 26:18-19

The old saying "sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me..." is a lie.  Words have a wounding effect that lasts far longer than a bruise incurred from a stick or stone.  The thing about words is they can't be unsaid.  Think long and hard before you say anything hurtful or mean to another person.  Even if you are joking, don't do so at another's expense.  It's not the way God made us to be.  Love is kind.

Readings:  Jeremiah 51:54-52:34; Titus 3:1-15; Psalm 100:1-5; Proverbs 26:18-19