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Day 272 Ezekiel 9:1 Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, “Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a deadly weapon in his hand.” 2 And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his battle-ax in his hand. One man among them was clothed with linen with a writer’s inkhorn at his side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar. 3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; 4 and the LORD said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.” 5 To the others, He said in my hearing, “Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. 6 “Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” So, they began with the elders who were before the temple. 7 Then He said to them, “Defile the temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city. 8 So it was, that while they were killing them, I was left alone; and I fell on my face and cried out, and said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in pouring out Your fury on Jerusalem?” 9 Then, He said to me, “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity; for they say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see!’ 10 “And as for Me also, My eye will neither spare, nor will I have pity, but I will recompense their deeds on their own head.” 11 Just then, the man clothed with linen, who had the inkhorn at his side, reported back and said, “I have done as You commanded me.” What will it take for you to change your ways? Does catastrophe need to strike you, your family, or your city for you to make changes? Judah and Jerusalem were in exile. God showed Ezekiel a vision of what He was about to do to Judah for their disobedience. However, He spared those who believed in Him and set their faces on Him. He put a mark on them so when the angel went out to kill and destroy, they wouldn’t touch those who still put their faith and trust in God. As Christians, you think you have all the answers. You go to church; you might read your Bible. You go to every meeting available to bring you into a close relationship with God. Yet something is missing. Or You are faithful. You hear God’s voice speaking with you, and you’re careful to do all He tells you. Your heart yearns for Him in everything you do. Which are you? Are you a fan who goes to every event, or a follower who asks, seeks, knocks, and genuinely does what Jesus tells you? Jesus told His disciples fans would not get into heaven. Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (NKJV) You can look like a Christian, talk like a Christian, walk like a Christian, but only God knows if you are a Christian. Jesus also told them there are two paths set out for everyone. The wide path leading to destruction and the narrow path leading to life. Again, Jesus knows which path you’re on. Outward appearances mean nothing to God. It’s the inward appearance of the heart. Matthew 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (NKJV) When God sent the angels out to mark the people faithful to Him, He knew them by their prayers and faithfulness. They mourned for the people and the lost state of their faithfulness to God. Those were the people God marked for Him. He told the angels to kill the rest. There are only two sides. You are either for God or for yourself. God knows. Is your heart right with God? When He looks at You does He see a heart committed to Him or a heart committed to self and self-glory? One brings destruction, the other brings life. Let’s pray: Father, David told You to search him and know him, to see if there was anything wicked in him. Father, I ask the same. I ask You to root out anything that keeps me from You. Help me examine myself so that when the time comes You don’t turn me away and tell me You never knew me, but You bring me into Your presence acknowledging me as Your faithful servant. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 13 March 2022 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay.