Ezekiel 15:2-5 – “Son of man, how does a grapevine compare to a tree? Is a vine’s wood as useful as the wood of a tree? Can its wood be used for making things, like pegs to hang up pots and pans? No, it can only be used for fuel, and even as fuel, it burns too quickly. Vines are useless both before and after being put into the fire!”
Today’s chapter is very short, so it is worth it to read the whole thing. The highlighted verses above are the first half, with the second half describing God’s judgment on his people. Israel is being compared to a grapevine, not very strong and not even that helpful in making a fire. Imagine a world with no electricity, steel, plastic, transportation, etc. Your understanding of wood versus vines would be a lot more central to life.
I felt led to write a series on Ezekiel because I think there is a message in it for the American church today. Let’s not shy away from that. Are we more like strong wood or like useless vines? Where is the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives? Where are the miraculous stories of love, healing, and redemption? These are found in pockets, but what would it mean for the whole church in America and globally to be leading the world in the right direction?
Here’s your freedom for today:
We become strong when we become like Jesus.
The strongest wood that has ever existed on earth are the two beams that formed the cross. They were able to contain all the love and all the evil in the world at one single moment. If this could be our image of strength, what would it take for us to become like those strong beams? We would need to live our daily lives in the imitation of Jesus, who spent a lot of time aware of the supernatural world and his mission. He was constantly connected to the Father and he walked at a pace that allowed him to do the miraculous. I’ve been feeling challenged to spend more time in prayer and less time distracted. Will you join me in living on your knees?