Wednesday after Exaudi
Posted on May 19, 2021 by under
Scripture: Ezekiel 11:14-20 (NKJV)
11:14 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 15 “Son of man, your brethren, your relatives, your countrymen, and all the house of Israel in its entirety, are those about whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Get far away from the Lord; this land has been given to us as a possession.’ 16 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Although I have cast them far off among the Gentiles, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet I shall be a little sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.”’ 17 Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”’ 18 And they will go there, and they will take away all its detestable things and all its abominations from there. 19 Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.
Devotion
Often it can seem like the Church is in ruin. So many schisms have sprung up that it can be difficult to have peace in the midst of so much division. However, just as the Lord promised to bring His people out of captivity, the Lord promises to gather His Church.
Though it seems as if we live in a great dispersion, we must remember that the Lord kept His promises to His Old Covenant people. We have a better promise in Christ. Though the Old Covenant saints had their hope in the promise, it had not come to fulfillment yet.
Just as we can often doubt due to the current climate in visible Christendom, we must remember that the Lord will gather those within His Church at the Last Day. We battle schism, heresy, and dissension in the Church as it arises, and with hope and faith we know that the Lord is not slow to fulfill His promises.
Just as the Lord gathered His people and promised to give them a new heart, so he gathers us, His Church, and gives us new life in Christ. He promises not to leave, nor forsake us, even when we come under trials from those who wish to break the Church. By God’s grace in Christ, the Church will be gathered to Him.
Prayer: Almighty, Everlasting God, make us to have always a devout will toward Thee and to serve Thy Majesty with a pure heart; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
