GOD's Secret Wisdom Daily

God’s Life-Giving Word of Spiritual Renewal INTRODUCTION Ezekiel 43:1-17: Today’s reading is from a section describing Ezekiel’s final vision about the restored Temple in Jerusalem. He sees the LORD’s glory returning to the Temple. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: EZEKIEL 43:5 The LORD’s spirit lifted me up and took me into the inner courtyard, where I saw that the Temple was filled with the glory of the LORD. TODAY'S READING " The  Lord  Returns to the Temple 1 The man took me to the gate that faces east,  2  and there I saw coming from the east the dazzling light of the presence of the God of Israel. God's voice sounded like the roar of the sea, and the earth shone with the dazzling light.  3 This vision was like the one I had seen when God came to destroy Jerusalem, and the one I saw by the Chebar River. Then I threw myself face downward on the ground.  4 The dazzling light passed through the east gate and went into the Temple. 5 The  Lord 's spirit lifted me up and took me i

God’s Life-Giving Word of Spiritual Renewal INTRODUCTION Ezekiel 39:21-29: Chapter 39 concludes the section in the book of Ezekiel that contains oracles pertaining to Israel’s restoration and transformation. To those who had been living in exile, God promises to bring them back to their own land. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: EZEKIEL 39:21 The LORD said, “I will let the nations see my glory and show them how I use my power to carry out my just decisions.” TODAY'S READING The Restoration of Israel 21 The  Lord  said, “I will let the nations see my glory and show them how I use my power to carry out my just decisions.  22 The Israelites will know from then on that I am the  Lord  their God.  23 And the nations will know that the Israelites went into exile because of the sins which they committed against me. I turned away from them and let their enemies defeat them and kill them in battle.  24 I gave them what they deserved for their uncleanness and their wickedness, and I turned away from t

God’s Life-Giving Word of Spiritual Renewal INTRODUCTION Ezekiel 37:15-28: Using two sticks and joining them end to end, Ezekiel is instructed to tell the people that God will unite the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah and that they will be united under one ruler. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: EZEKIEL 37:21 [The LORD said:] “Tell them that I, the Sovereign LORD, am going to take all of my people out of the nations where they have gone, gather them together, and bring them back to their own land.” TODAY'S READING Judah and Israel in One Kingdom 15 The  Lord  spoke to me again.  16 “Mortal man,” he said, “take a wooden stick and write on it the words, ‘The kingdom of Judah.’ Then take another stick and write on it the words, ‘The kingdom of Israel.’  17 Then hold the two sticks end to end in your hand so that they look like one stick.  18 When your people ask you to tell them what this means,  19 tell them that I, the Sovereign  Lord , am going to take the stick representing Israel and put

God’s Life-Giving Word of Spiritual Renewal INTRODUCTION Ezekiel 37:1-14: The Israelites living in exile were feeling as if their hopes had dried up; but God promises to breathe new life into them. Like an army of dry bones that rose from death, the people will stand up and return home. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: EZEKIEL 37:4 He said, “Prophesy to the bones. Tell these dry bones to listen to the word of the LORD.” TODAY'S READING The Valley of Dry Bones 1 I felt the powerful presence of the  Lord , and his spirit took me and set me down in a valley where the ground was covered with bones.  2 He led me all around the valley, and I could see that there were very many bones and that they were very dry.  3 He said to me, “Mortal man, can these bones come back to life?” I replied, “Sovereign  Lord , only you can answer that!” 4 He said, “Prophesy to the bones. Tell these dry bones to listen to the word of the  Lord .  5 Tell them that I, the Sovereign  Lord , am saying to them: I am going t

God’s Life-Giving Word of Spiritual Renewal INTRODUCTION Ezekiel 36:16-38: Israel’s sins caused God’s holy name to be disgraced and led Israel’s enemies to believe that their God was not powerful enough to save them. For the sake of his name, God promises to cleanse Israel of its sins and give the people his spirit. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: EZEKIEL 36:27 [The LORD said:] “I will put my spirit in you and will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you.” TODAY'S READING Israel's New Life 16 The  Lord  spoke to me.  17 “Mortal man,” he said, “when the Israelites were living in their land, they defiled it by the way they lived and acted. I regarded their behavior as being as ritually unclean as a woman is during her monthly period.  18 I let them feel the force of my anger because of the murders they had committed in the land and because of the idols by which they had defiled it.  19 I condemned them for the way they lived and acted, and I scattered

God’s Life-Giving Word of Spiritual Renewal INTRODUCTION Ezekiel 36:1-15: God promises to take revenge on those who destroyed Israel’s mountains and promises to restore the land and provide a home for God’s people when they return from exile. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: EZEKIEL 36:11B [The LORD said:] “I will let you live there as you used to live, and I will make you more prosperous than ever. Then you will know that I am the LORD.” TODAY'S READING God's Blessing on Israel 1 The  Lord  said, “Mortal man, speak to the mountains of Israel and tell them to listen to the message which I,  2 the Sovereign  Lord , have for them: Israel's enemies gloated and said, ‘Now those ancient hills are ours!’ 3 “Prophesy, then, and announce what I, the Sovereign  Lord , am saying. When the neighboring nations captured and plundered the mountains of Israel, everyone made fun of Israel.  4 So now listen to what I, the Sovereign  Lord , say to you mountains and hills, to you brooks and valleys, to

God’s Life-Giving Word of Spiritual Renewal INTRODUCTION Ezekiel 10:1-22: Chapter 10 is part of Ezekiel’s second vision (which begins in chapter 8 where he is carried to Jerusalem and sees the people and the leaders punished because of their sins against the LORD). In Ezekiel’s first vision (chapter 1), he witnessed the presence of the LORD. In today’s reading, Ezekiel sees the divine glory—the presence of God—leaving the Temple because the people had made the land and the Temple impure by their idolatry and rebellion. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: EZEKIEL 10:18A Then the dazzling light of the LORD’s presence left the entrance of the Temple. TODAY'S READING The Glory of the  Lord  Leaves the Temple 1  I looked at the dome over the heads of the living creatures and above them was something that seemed to be a throne made of sapphire.  2  God said to the man wearing linen clothes, “Go between the wheels under the creatures and fill your hands with burning coals. Then scatter the coals over

God’s Life-Giving Word of Spiritual Renewal INTRODUCTION Ezekiel 3:1-27: As noted in yesterday’s reading, Ezekiel is instructed to eat a scroll on which are written “cries of grief” and “wails and groans” (2:10), an indication that the message he is to deliver from God will contain devastating news about the fall of Jerusalem and God’s impending punishment of the people (see chapters 4—9). Ezekiel is appointed to be a lookout for Israel and is instructed with regard to warnings he is to deliver. The chapter concludes with Ezekiel being told by God that he will be unable to speak for a while, an indication that Ezekiel is to speak only when God has a message for Ezekiel to convey to the people. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: EZEKIEL 3:12 Then God’s spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the loud roar of a voice that said, “Praise the glory of the LORD in heaven above!” TODAY'S READING 1  God said, “Mortal man, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” 2 So I opened my

God’s Life-Giving Word of Spiritual Renewal INTRODUCTION Ezekiel 2:2-10: Ezekiel is called to be a spokesperson for God, and he is warned that he will encounter resistance when delivering God’s message. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: EZEKIEL 2:2A While the voice was speaking, God’s spirit entered me and raised me to my feet. TODAY'S READING 2 While the voice was speaking, God's spirit entered me and raised me to my feet, and I heard the voice continue,  3 “Mortal man, I am sending you to the people of Israel. They have rebelled and turned against me and are still rebels, just as their ancestors were.  4 They are stubborn and do not respect me, so I am sending you to tell them what I, the Sovereign  Lord , am saying to them.  5 Whether those rebels listen to you or not, they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6 “But you, mortal man, must not be afraid of them or of anything they say. They will defy and despise you; it will be like living among scorpions. Still, don't be a

God’s Life-Giving Word of Spiritual Renewal INTRODUCTION Ezekiel 1:1—2:1: Today we begin reading excerpts from the book of the prophet Ezekiel. A unique feature of this prophetic book is that it is written in the first person. All of Ezekiel’s visions, prophecies, and actions are described from his point of view. Ezekiel was a priest who lived in exile in Babylon during the period before and after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. In today’s reading, Ezekiel describes a vision of God’s glory. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: EZEKIEL 1:3B I heard the LORD speak to me, and I felt his power. TODAY'S READING EZEKIEL'S FIRST VISION OF GOD (1.1—7.27) God's Throne 1  On the fifth day of the fourth month of the thirtieth year, I, Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, was living with the Jewish exiles by the Chebar River in Babylonia. The sky opened, and I saw a vision of God. (  2  It was the fifth year since King Jehoiachin had been taken into exile.)  3 There in Babylonia beside the Chebar Rive

God’s Life-Giving Word of Spiritual Renewal INTRODUCTION 1 Corinthians 14:26-40: The apostle Paul offers instructions that are designed to ensure good order in the worship life of a community of faith. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 1 CORINTHIANS 14:32, 33A The gift of proclaiming God’s message should be under the speaker’s control, because God does not want us to be in disorder but in harmony and peace. TODAY'S READING Order in the Church 26 This is what I mean, my friends. When you meet for worship, one person has a hymn, another a teaching, another a revelation from God, another a message in strange tongues, and still another the explanation of what is said. Everything must be of help to the church.  27 If someone is going to speak in strange tongues, two or three at the most should speak, one after the other, and someone else must explain what is being said.  28 But if no one is there who can explain, then the one who speaks in strange tongues must be quiet and speak only to himself an

God’s Life-Giving Word of Spiritual Renewal INTRODUCTION 1 Corinthians 14:1-25: In today’s reading, the apostle Paul discusses glossolalia, speaking in tongues. Paul argues in favor of prophecy (proclaiming God’s message) because prophecy edifies the community and serves the common good. He regarded prophecy as a gift that helps the whole body of Christ more than the gift of speaking in an unknown language. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 1 CORINTHIANS 14:3 Those who proclaim God’s message speak to people and give them help, encouragement, and comfort. TODAY'S READING More about Gifts from the Spirit 1 It is love, then, that you should strive for. Set your hearts on spiritual gifts, especially the gift of proclaiming God's message.  2 Those who speak in strange tongues do not speak to others but to God, because no one understands them. They are speaking secret truths by the power of the Spirit.  3 But those who proclaim God's message speak to people and give them help, encouragement

God’s Life-Giving Word of Spiritual Renewal INTRODUCTION 1 Corinthians 12:12-31: In today’s reading, the apostle Paul compares the body of Christ to a human body. Each part of the body refers to individual members of the church, and all are united in one being. TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 1 CORINTHIANS 12:27 All of you are Christ’s body, and each one is a part of it. TODAY'S READING One Body with Many Parts 12  Christ is like a single body, which has many parts; it is still one body, even though it is made up of different parts.  13 In the same way, all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free, have been baptized into the one body by the same Spirit, and we have all been given the one Spirit to drink. 14 For the body itself is not made up of only one part, but of many parts.  15 If the foot were to say, “Because I am not a hand, I don't belong to the body,” that would not keep it from being a part of the body.  16 And if the ear were to say, “Because I am not an eye,