The Joy of Glory

Ezekiel 37:1-14 (click here)
The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones.

And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live… and you shall know that I am the LORD.”

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone…

“Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people…

And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live… Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.”
(Ezekiel 37 selected verses)

Reflection
What is your story?

Mine is pretty boring. A pastor’s kid… raised in the church… no crazy rebellion… good family… married young… blah, blah, blah!

I mean, it isn’t the stuff movies are made of now is it? Perhaps you feel the same? Perhaps you hear other people’s testimonies of amazing works that God has done in their life and you’re left thinking, “I wish that was me. My story just seems kind of lame.”

I have those same thoughts all the time, but the Gospel declares those thoughts to be a lie!

You and I have an amazing story. Every Christian has an incredible story… because our story is one of resurrection!

You were dead… then Jesus… now you live!

Ezekiel 37 vividly recounts the story of all God’s people as a resurrection story. In context, the people of God were in exile. As a nation, they seemed to be finished… like nothing more than a valley of dried up bones.

But, God!

God promised to resurrect them and bring them back to their land. He would reestablish his people! And it would be God’s accomplishment of this seemingly impossible task that would cause his people to know him! They would be unable to deny him as God, for he alone could raise their nation from the grave!

This promise, this story comes to its fullest fulfillment in Jesus Christ! He redeems God’s people from every tribe and nation and tongue… he redeems us from our exile in sin to bring us home to him!

We were all dead, a valley of dry bones, and only by the Spirit of God giving us new life could we come to faith in Christ! God alone can do this! And it is precisely because he alone can do this that he says, “…you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.”

This is your story! You were dead and now you live! If you love Jesus, then you know this is what has happened because it couldn’t happen any other way! God alone can raise dead hearts to life in Christ!

Your story isn’t boring or lame and neither is mine! This is my story… A pastor’s kid… raised in the church… dead in sin… God raised me from the dead through Christ… I’m a child of the king… God is my inheritance and joy… along with the saints I will inherit the world… I am Jesus’ and Jesus is mine… joy, joy, joy!

What is your story?

 
*All previous devotionals may be found at www.thejoyofglory.com
*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

Ezekiel 36:22–27 (click here)
“…It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name…

…And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.

…I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” (Ezekiel 36:22-23, and 27)

Reflection
I am so thankful that the Lord’s commitment to me is not based on my faithfulness to glorify his name… but his. Our triune God will uphold his holiness before the world. The Father will glorify his Son and the Son will glorify his Father… in and through the Holy Spirit. Our triune God will not fail in his commitment to his own glory!

This is gospel good news!

It is gospel good news because God is committed to do this through you… and through me… through his people. Before a watching world, he will vindicate his holiness. How?

The prophet Ezekiel was shown a coming day when the Lord would put his very Spirit within his people to empower them to walk in his ways… reflect his holiness… live for his glory. That day has dawned through the death and resurrection of Jesus!

The same Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, dwells in you to empower you to live a resurrected life (Rom 8:11)! God is at work in you, by his Spirit, transforming and conforming you to look more and more like Christ (Rom 8:29 and 2 Cor 3:18)!

Of course this work is not yet complete… it has only begun, but God promises that the day is coming when he will bring it to completion (Phil 1:6). The day that dawned with Christ’s resurrection will soon shine with the full brightness of his return (Rev 1:16)! And on that day, the name of the Lord will be upheld as holy before all creation, and that will happen through you!

Glory of glories! Gospel good news!

God will glorify himself through you! Could our life have any greater purpose? Could there be any greater joy?

No! For there is nothing greater, nothing more joy giving than God… and he is giving himself to us that he may be glorified through us! Maximum glory and maximum joy forever! And we get a foretaste now! His Spirit is at work in you now… today… to make you more like Jesus, shine forth more of his glory, and find more joy in him.

Hear, believe, and celebrate the Gospel good news… TODAY God has put his Spirit in you for the glory of his name and for your joy… forever!

 
*All previous devotionals may be found at www.thejoyofglory.com
*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

Jeremiah 24 (click here)
“Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I have sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up. I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart. (Jeremiah 24:5–7)

Reflection
God’s people are in exile in the land of Babylon. They are there by the Lord’s own judgment, poured out upon them for their rebellion. The situation looks bleak, and the people have gotten themselves into it. Surely, they’d have to get themselves out.

But grace.

“I will regard as good the exiles from Judah…” not because they are good… but grace. “I will set my eyes on them for good…” not because they deserve it… but grace. “I will bring them back to this land…” not because he should… but grace. “I will build them up…” not because he owes it to them… but grace. “I will plant them…” not because of what they have or have not done… but grace.

“I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD…” this is the heart of grace… that God gives us a new heart!

But grace.

All of us have been like the people of Israel in Babylon… captive to our sin, which is a situation we put ourselves in. Surely, we’d have to get ourselves out. But we cannot accomplish that any more than they could. God must do something. Not because we are good, or deserve it, or because he should, or because he owes it to us, or because of what we have or have not done…

But grace!

It’s because of his grace, his love, his goodness overflowing to us… it is because of who he is that he does what he does for us. Like he rescued Israel from exile, he rescues us from slavery to sin, and he does it in the same way!

God gives us a new heart, one that desires him! Do you have a heart that wants God? If so, that is evidence of his gracious work in your life! He alone can give you a heart that longs for him… he alone can rescue us from sin… he alone gives grace. No matter where you are today, no matter what you feel, no matter what is going on or what is coming your way… remember these words now and always…

But grace!

 
*All previous devotionals may be found at www.thejoyofglory.com
*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.