by Pastor Peter Bean
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What to make of these verses? Not the most wonderful reading in the Bible. It started off well with hospitality shown by Lot. But it quickly degenerated into all sorts of terrible things: sexual immorality, betrayal of family, disbelief, tardiness, warnings ignored, ingratitude. And, as we read on, there is more.
What do we do with all of this? Of course, it’s easy to jump to conclusions and become judgemental of actions and inactions, groups and individuals. And don’t we do that? Sorry, I’ll let you answer that for yourself. For myself, yes, I do jump to conclusions. I do make judgements. I do look down on people. Lord, have mercy.
And the Lord does. Even when we think we have more time to prepare. Even when we joke about what God might do. Even when we are inhospitable. Even when we condemn!
I guess, here, in these verses, we have a good description of human nature. Thoughts and actions are described that can lead us away from God. Even when God is present – in our face, if you like – even when God is clear, and we can hear the voice of the Spirit guiding us. (Did you know that, in the Hebrew Scriptures, to hear is the same as to obey?)
But we also have a good description of God’s nature: to be merciful, to restore those who lack trust or think they can make it on their own. Can each of us examine our lives? Look for those times when you didn’t trust God’s promises and thought you could make it alone. Look for those times when God’s mercy re-appeared: in a word of forgiveness, in a restoration of relationships, in a comforting hug, in the quiet breath of the Spirit breathing new life into you.
And give thanks for the Lord’s mercy.
Lord God, Heavenly Dad, gracious Saviour, life-giving Spirit, thank you for your mercy, shown to me in so many ways. Thank you. Amen.
In early October, Peter enjoyed a family camp with his children and grandchildren at Lake Bonney, South Australia. Then, he returned to weeding, planting, riding, reading and relaxing.
God’s will for us
by Faye Schmidt
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I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you, and I will take away the stony heart from your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).
Read Ezekiel 36:24–28
(Before reading this devotion, count how many times the words ‘I will’ appear in the text. It appears four times alone in the selected text.)
Ezekiel speaks at a time when God’s people are in exile, seeking to return to their own lands. Before the people return to the land, God will cleanse them by water from their sins and impurities, especially idolatry (Ezekiel 36:25; Exodus 30:17–21). The ritual of cleansing is an external sign of a deeper work that God will perform on the people. The ritual offers an embodied way of experiencing a new reality that God is about to usher in.
God knows very well that we struggle to live a life faithful to him and his will for us. Therefore, God declares, ‘I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you, and I will take away the stony heart from your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh’ (Ezekiel 36:26). The ritual of cleansing by water and the gift of the new identity go hand in hand. All of it, though, is the work of God.
Even if a person has the will to live a life pleasing to God, humans need the Spirit of God to be able to obey. ‘And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and to keep my judgements and to do them’ (Ezekiel 36:27). We are incapable of obedience even after having been purified. We need the power of God’s Spirit to live more fully in our new identity.
All this is possible because God’s will for us was fulfilled when Jesus prayed the night before he died, ‘Not my will, but thy will be done.’ And Jesus was obedient to that will, died and then rose triumphantly to cleanse us from our sins – through Jesus, we come before God ‘clean’.
Dear God, we give thanks, praise and glory to you, as you fulfilled all your promises to us through Jesus, so that we may know that you are our God, and we are your people. Amen.
Faye Schmidt continues her diaconal calling through governance, having served on the Vic–Tas District Church Board, the General Church Board and currently as chair of the Standing Committee on Constitutions and her congregation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide. Having lived and worked in many locations in Australia and overseas, Faye has a heart for the stranger and the newcomer and for being open to new ideas, learning from others and responding to needs.
‘Grab Hope’ This Easter
As we approach the joy of Easter Sunday, Lutheran Media has been sharing a special message from Pastor Adrian Kitson, inviting our podcast audiences, radio listeners and social media followers to ‘Grab Hope’ — and to share their stories of Easter hope with us.
If a friend or family member might benefit from an invitation to explore the hope that comes to us at Easter, please share our ‘Grab Hope’ message with them!
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My Future Hope Easter Sunday Read: Revelation 21:1-4 “They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:3b-4 (NIV)
Today is Easter Sunday and our Lord Jesus has beaten death and the devil and has been raised to live in Heaven with our Heavenly Father. He is risen indeed! We focus today on all that God has accomplished through Jesus. Through Jesus’ death and rising He has brought us life, and life forever with Him. Revelation is a book of the Bible that is hard to know how to interpret. Many have tried, but we have to be careful not to read into what isn’t there. It is the last book of the Bible, and it was written by John telling of his visions.
This vision of the future is meant to transform the present, by providing hope and motivating Christians to reflect on the character and values that Christ embodied while with us on earth. It shares the vision of what heaven will be like when God is present among us. I love reading about the perfection of Heaven. It won’t be a restored earth, but a totally new reality where there will be no more suffering, all God’s promises will be fulfilled, and we will have a perfect relationship with God (no more sin or separation). This future hope, through the vision of John, provides comfort and encourages all believers to live holy lives here and now in the present. This new creation is divine, not built or created by human hands, but entirely a gift of love from a loving Father.
This salvation is ours for all time. Today we celebrate Jesus’ victory over sin and death, through His rising from the grave. God has through this act of love and grace, given us the same victory over sin and death where we can now come to Him directly as His precious children. Our sins have been forgiven, and we are washed clean. We can now live in the hope of our future with God forever in Heaven. We can live our future hope now in the present, knowing a loving Saviour loves us unconditionally!
Prayer: My risen Lord and Saviour, thank you for giving me a glimpse of Heaven through the visions of John. Guide me through my life that I may reflect the love you have for me to those around me. Amen.