“And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, that one who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has been captured!” 22 Now the hand of the Lord had been upon me the evening before the man came who had escaped. And He had opened my mouth; so when he came to me in the morning, my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.23 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 24 “Son of man, they who inhabit those ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one, and he inherited the land. But we are many; the land has been given to us as a possession.’ 25“Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “You eat meat with blood, you lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood. Should you then possess the land? 26 You rely on your sword, you commit abominations, and you defile one another’s wives. Should you then possess the land?” ’” Ezekiel 33:21-26 NKJV
Lord God and Creator,
In the beginning the world was without form and void. And You spoke beauty, colour, life, and order to it. And as long as Your order was followed all was well. It did not last long. When down through history You choose Abraham and his people, You showed them Your order, Your laws, and offered protection, provision and blessing. It did not last long. But You were, are faithful. Ezekiel reminds them why they are in a mess, chaos all around. They left You, God. But You never left them.
We know You then began again with another man. Not a father of nations, not a priest, not a prophet, though he was all those things too . . . You sent the Law in person so we could see what it looked, sounded and acted like in person. Your character and nature in the person of Your Son Jesus Christ. He brought peace to the demon possessed (Mark 5:1-20), healing to the sick, life to the dead (Mark 5:21-43), He gave forgiveness freely (Luke 7:48) and life in all its fullness (John 10:10).
And yet today, all around me, I see people offending You. Doing what Ezekiel condemns. But then I see the church spreading Your message and trying to turn them to You. It seems a huge task. But every single person who finds You is a miracle. And one day it will be sorted. I know not how. But it will. Until then Lord, amidst a messy, sinful, fallen world, bless and protect Your people, give us a harvest of souls and deliver us from evil. A big prayer – but You are a big God, Lord.
In Jesus name wee pay, Amen.
Worship Wednesday 12th August 2026
I considered putting a hymn about the call to find the lost – but then the greatest miracle to me is that he saved me! It’s what inspires me to tell others . . .
I know not why God’s wondrous grace
To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
Redeemed me for His own.
But “I know Whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.”
I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart.
Chorus
I know not how the Spirit moves,
Convincing men of sin,
Revealing Jesus through the Word,
Creating faith in Him.
Chorus
I know not when my Lord may come,
At night or noonday fair,
Nor if I walk the vale with Him,
Or meet Him in the air.
Chorus twice.
Lyrics:Daniel W Whittle