12/28/2018
There are two parts to spiritual salvation, and there are two parts to the salvation of countries, churches, and peoples. The first part changes who we are, and the second part fills us with God’s essence. We find Jesus Christ who renews us, and then we receive the Holy Spirit which is the understanding of God. Do you have both? Is your country prepared to be fixed and restored to God?
“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.”
Ezekiel 36:26-28 ESV
Many years ago I was driving down a country road made of dirt. The road was bumpy and I had to dodge many rocks and struggled to keep out of the deep ruts. As I rounded a bend I could see that I had to ford a stream; it didn’t appear to be very deep so I gathered a little speed and plowed through it. Unfortunately there was a hole and a large rock in it that I couldn’t see and as the front wheels of my car dipped into the hole my car bottomed out on the rock with a large BANG! Fortunately I kept going and exited on the far side, but unfortunately I heard a loud ticking sound coming from my engine. I stopped and looked underneath to see that I had dented in my oil pan (the reservoir which contains the oil that is pumped up into your engine), and there was a hole in it that was allowing my oil to drain out. Luckily I wasn’t far from home and made it to my driveway where I immediately shut the engine off... and where I lost what remained of the oil. The car couldn’t be driven like this without destroying the engine.
So after jacking the car up, sliding under it, and removing the oil pan, I cleaned all the remaining oil from the pan, beat the dent back out, and welded the hole shut. At this point I was able to bolt the pan back to the bottom of the engine and refill it completely with oil. Then when I started the engine there was no longer any clicking sound, and the oil remained safely in the engine.
This sounds like an odd story for our devotional this morning, but it relates closely to our lesson. When we are broken God must first repair us (the vessel), and then once that is done He can pour Himself into us. This is what Ezekiel is telling us happened to Israel. first God repaired the heart of The country and its people, and then He poured His Spirit back into them. The result of this was a blessing; a return to the land God had given them... the restoration of Israel.
“And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you. I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations.”
Ezekiel 36:27-30 ESV
This is also how He treats each of us individually; He repairs us with Jesus Christ, and then He pours His Holy Spirit into us. First the repair, and then the oil of blessing is returned... His Spirit. Whether God deals with us personally, as a country, or as a people, the process is the same... fix (or restore), and then fill (or bless).
“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
John 16:13-15 ESV
Where are you personally in the repair process that Jesus is performing on you? Have you been cleaned and made ready for repair, have your dents been beaten out, is your leak fixed, have you been reinstalled on the engine, or have you at last been filled with the oil of God’s Holy Spirit? How about your country, your church, your people? Are they broken as well? Are these same repairs underway as part of returning them to God... to receiving His blessings once more?
Let’s pray today for our personal return to God through Jesus Christ, and then for the restoration of our countries, churches, and peoples.
Prayer:
Father I thank you for not abandoning us to our brokenness. I thank you for sending your Son Jesus Christ to restore us, and to lead us back into relationship with you. I thank you for your Holy Spirit that is breathed into us when the repairs have been completed, and when our vessels have been renewed and can once again contain Him. Thank you for your Anointing oil that smooths the friction between us as we interact with one another, and with you. Help us to obey you always, and to be a sweet scent of spice in your house. Heal us each as we walk closer with Jesus. Heal our churches as we return to serving you, and preaching your Word. Lift up our countries as they are being returned to your spiritual laws and guidance, and restore and bless us as a people so that our cities and gatherings can be filled with your peace, and our voices raised together in praise and worship to you. Glorify yourself Holy Father in all of these things, and defeat every obstacle that would prevent our repair and sanctification. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who never abandons us, and loves us as He returns us to Himself. All Glory be yours Father as you repair our brokenness, and fill us once more with your Holy Spirit... the sweet oil of Holiness... the fragrant aroma of heaven. Praised be your Holy name, now and forevermore.
Rich Forbes