A planting unto the Lord (Read Ezek. 36: 33-36)
“They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendour." (Isaiah 61:3)
"Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the Lord have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.’" (Ezek 36:36)
Pastor Goheen has written that “the Old Testament people of God were called to be a light to the nations by living a distinctive life in the midst of the nations. They failed but the prophets promised that one day God would act again to gather Israel together again and restore them to their calling.”
3 Isaiah declares that when we live out our calling to be a light to the nations we “display the splendour” of the Lord.
When I was a kid I remember being awestruck by the towering cedars that line the bayou with their needles sticking out of the water. Isaiah says we are God’s “planting”. God takes people whose lives have been infected and bruised by sin—what Ezekiel says was “destroyed” and “desolate”—and he rebuilds them so that they will be a majestic planting of the Lord.
PRAYER
“They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendour." (Isaiah 61:3)
"Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the Lord have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.’" (Ezek 36:36)
Pastor Goheen has written that “the Old Testament people of God were called to be a light to the nations by living a distinctive life in the midst of the nations. They failed but the prophets promised that one day God would act again to gather Israel together again and restore them to their calling.”
3 Isaiah declares that when we live out our calling to be a light to the nations we “display the splendour” of the Lord.
When I was a kid I remember being awestruck by the towering cedars that line the bayou with their needles sticking out of the water. Isaiah says we are God’s “planting”. God takes people whose lives have been infected and bruised by sin—what Ezekiel says was “destroyed” and “desolate”—and he rebuilds them so that they will be a majestic planting of the Lord.
PRAYER
- Thank the Lord for calling us to be a light to the nations.
- Pray that our lives will together be a display of the righteousness of God.
- Pray that the people around us, in our families, in our neighborhoods, and in our broader community will know that it is the Lord who has rebuilt what was broken by sin. May our obedience to God’s will be a strong witness for the Kingdom of Christ.
- Pray that families in our community, especially ones that do not yet follow Christ, will be captivated by the love of Christ for their children and receive that same love in their own hearts.