God Restores

Scripture Reading

Ezekiel 17:22-24

22 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23 On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches. 24 All the trees of the forest will know that I the Lord bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.

“‘I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.’”

Devotional

In this scripture, God is talking about Zedekiah, the king of Judah. Zedekiah had an agreement with Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, which was keeping Jerusalem safe and prospering in accordance to God’s will. Zedekiah’s own council, was the prophet Jeremiah, but Jeremiah notes in 2 Kings 24:19 that “Zedekiah did evil in the sight of God.” In the end, Zedekiah gets selfish and decides to break the promise to Babylon by soliciting military help from the king of Egypt. His actions are not only against Nebuchadnezzar, but against God’s plan. Ezekial 17:19 says:

19 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, I will repay him for despising my oath and breaking my covenant.

The king of Judah thought he could make himself into something greater instead of following God’s plan and despite how great the plan seemed to be in his mind, it’s doomed to fail. That’s not the end of the story though because God doesn’t turn his back on his people although he does allow them to conquered. He instead promises to restore Jerusalem after it is destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and it will become mighty and fruitful as a testament to the Lord.

So, how does this apply today? It applies on both a global and individual scale. Today, we see a world still full of war. It is vital that we pray for our leaders that they follow the ways of the Lord because his plan is perfect. We know what happens when countries turn their faces from God and surely that’s not where we want to be. Now, you and I, may not be mighty rulers of a kingdom and we may not be responsible for maintaining alliances with other nations; but, we are responsible over our own lives and our children. So, let’s remain prayerful that our plans are good in the sight of the Lord. By having a heart that seeks God and by following in his ways, we get the opportunity to be that twig on the mountain that ends up blossoming into a mature tree producing bountiful and good fruit. Let’s pray.

Prayer

Father God, thank you for the reminder that you can bring even a dead tree back to life such that it grows and flourishes under your care. I pray that you guide my footsteps and reveal to me the error of my ways, so myself and my loved ones flourish and bear fruits of the Holy Spirit. Amen.