Day 323: Faith

Ephesians 3; Ezekiel 8-9; Isaiah 41

Our faith in Jesus is powerful. It connects us to God, it makes us brothers and sisters with Jesus, it helps us to stand firm, it teaches us how to love, it opens the door for salvation. Paul talks about the mystery of faith in Jesus in this chapter, and indeed, it seems a little strange: God came in human form, died and rose again, and now we can be made right with Him. Nonetheless, weirdness aside, as followers of Christ, we will experience blessings beyond measure, love without limits, and power at work in us beyond our imagination.

I think about the things that God shows Ezekiel: idols by the altar, idols in the rooms of priests, weeping for the god of vegetation, worship of the sun. In our churches, do we idolize the awesome, brand new, state-of-the-art buildings? Do we worship the music? Do our church leaders fill their homes with stuff, seeking more material things? Look at all the rich evangelists! Do we manipulate our food in order to make it more productive, rather than depending on The Lord to provide? And does our world worship science, astrology, astronomy, etc., seeking truth and answers from science and medicine? Where did these people, and where do we, put our faith? Then this man with the linen robe (Jesus?) is to mark the foreheads of the people who are not living with idols or worshiping other gods. These people are marked because they refuse to compromise, because they see what their world had become and were devastated, because they still loved God and his ways. If we choose that life, perhaps we, too, are being marked by the "man in linen" and our lives (eternally) will be spared.

This passage in Isaiah also talks about idols. It talks about how idols are useless, they aren't helpful, can't do anything. Only God has the power to save, direct, provide, and love. God also gives encouragement in this chapter. If we love him and are his people, then we need not fear. He is with us and will hold our hand so that our enemies cannot defeat us. God is so good and gracious.