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Day 365 (Ezekiel 34:17-31) ‘And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I will judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats. Is it too little for you to eat up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture—and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet? As for My flock, they eat what you trampled with your feet, and they drink what you fouled with your feet.” ‘Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them, “Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep. Because you pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad, therefore, I will save My flock, and they will no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. I will establish one shepherd over them, and he will feed them—My servant, David. He will feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken. I will make a covenant of peace with them and cause wild beasts to cease from the land, and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing, and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there will be showers of blessing. Then the trees of the field will yield their fruit, and the earth will yield her increase. They will be safe in their land, and they will know that I am the LORD when I break the bands of their yoke and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them. And they will no longer be prey for the nations, nor will beasts of the land devour them, but they will dwell safely, and no one will make them afraid. I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they will no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore. Thus, they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people,” says the Lord GOD.’ “You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God,” says the Lord GOD. Everyone wants their lives blessed. They don’t want to see poverty in their lives but know that everything they do will come to fruition. God brought judgment against the nations surrounding Israel, who treated them with disdain and thought they were better than Israel, whom God sent into captivity. With their judgment, God said He would judge Israel, the sheep of His pasture. He would bring judgment against those who treated their own people with contempt. God promised His people, He would send them a new Shepherd who would lead His people, His servant David. When He did, He let Israel know they were His people. He would bless them and the land, and the land would bear fruit again, and they would see deliverance from their enemies. As Christians, you want deliverance from your enemy, Satan. You want to see blessings in your life, and prosperity in everything you do. As God told Ezekiel, He would judge between sheep and sheep, Jesus also told the people God would do the same to them. (Matthew 25:31-46) “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them from one another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ Then they will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Are you a sheep or a goat? Do you take care of God’s people, or do you walk away from them? With the same judgment God promised through Ezekiel, Jesus will judge you. You will see deliverance, or you will be sent into a Christless eternity. The choice is yours. God promised His people that He would be their God. They would know Him and live in prosperity free from their enemies. God’s promise is the same for you when you treat others as God treats you. Let’s pray: Father, I am a sheep in Your pasture. Let Your hand rest on me as I treat others with grace and mercy. Deliver me from bondage to Satan and let me know Your love and forgiveness. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 13 July 2023 by Valerie Routhieaux The image belongs to me.