July 24, 2011 Pure Devotion

Pure Devotion
Read Ezekiel 4 - 5

Ezek 4:14 Then I said, “Not so, Sovereign LORD! I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead or torn by wild animals. No unclean meat has ever entered my mouth.”

OKAY. Let me get this straight. God tells Ezekiel he has to lie on his side, all tied up with ropes, for 390 days on his left side and 40 days on his right side. This crazy, weird act is to show the Hebrews that God is bringing judgment against them.
Ezekiel hears this—and what does he say? “Don’t make me eat unclean food!”
Wow, that is crazy. He’s worried about the food—not lying on his side for 390 days! Do you see how God moves people to do really crazy things for him? There’s one author who calls it the “Second Mile”. There’s another who calls it “Crazy Love”. I call it pure, uncompromising devotion.
How does one come to be so devoted to God he’s willing to lie on his side for 390 days, barely eating anything? What’s he do when he wants to watch the baseball game? What’s he do when he wants anything? He puts his wants aside—totally aside. And he crazily goes the second mile to obey God’s commands.
God calls Ezekiel “Son of Man”. Ezekiel is God’s representative on earth to bring judgment to the world. You’ll see this in Daniel 7. And Jesus uses this name for himself more than any other.
Son of Man is a name that defines the truth of judgment and offer of salvation from the throne of heaven. For the Son of Man there is nothing to do but to go the “second mile” in “crazy love” with pure devotion. Can we add your name to describe pure devotion to God?


Pause and Consider: the incredible, painful cost of sin. Only God’s pure devotion to you has removed sin from your life.