The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Ezekiel 29-32
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 8: Exile: God Disciplines His People
Background Information: Ezekiel 29-32
Ezekiel turns his prophetic gunsights on Egypt. Egypt was a superpower in decline at this time. They allied with Assyria against Babylon in an attempt to prolong the inevitable. Small nations like Judah had to try and figure out who to hitch their wagons to. Choose wrong and it would be catastrophic. Choosing Egypt was a wrong choice. Egypt had a long history and was full of national pride–little good it would do them. Their long national history was nothing to God, for a thousand years is but a day to him. When Jerusalem came under Babylonian siege for a year, the Egyptian rescue would fail, and Egypt would fall. It would recover but never be what it once was. Putting their trust in an ancient national power was ultimately foolish; God had already told them what was going to come. Ezekiel describes Egypt lying in a graveyard of nations. Hundreds of nations have disappeared over the ages. Some, like the Roman empire, seemed to be, at their heights, invincible. Some, like the Soviet Union, seemed destined to be unstoppable in their spread across the globe. We know that both joined the Babylonian empire in the graveyard of history. The United States is the world’s greatest superpower today. As far as nations go, its history is not yet long. Will it survive until the Lord returns? Some think they know, but they do not. God only knows, and he has not told us. We are to pray for the thriving of our nation. We are to pray for its leaders. We are to be good citizens of the country in which God has placed us. But ultimately, we hold dual citizenship…heaven is our true home country. We must hold this tension firmly in place. We love our country, but we do not put our hope in it. We serve our nation, but our ultimate allegiance is to the Lord.
“He makes nations great, then destroys them; he enlarges nations, then leads them away.”
Job 12:23
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for Christian Challenge. Ask God to speak through the message and worship tonight. Pray for students who do not know Christ to turn to him. Pray for students to grow in their love for Jesus and each other.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.