Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Live it!" for Wednesday, 16 July 2014 - Read Ezekiel 33:30-33

Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Live it!" for Wednesday, 16 July 2014 - Read Ezekiel 33:30-32 “As for you, son of man, you’ve become quite the talk of the town. Your people meet on street corners and in front of their houses and say, ‘Let’s go hear the latest news from God.’ They show up, as people tend to do, and sit in your company. They listen to you speak, but don’t do a thing you say. They flatter you with compliments, but all they care about is making money and getting ahead. To them you’re merely entertainment—a country singer of sad love songs, playing a guitar. They love to hear you talk, but nothing comes of it.
33 “But when all this happens—and it is going to happen!—they’ll realize that a prophet was among them.”
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.(James 1:22 (NIV))
In the midst of busy lives, even when we make daily Bible reading a priority we sometimes find ourselves merely scanning the pages and not reading the scripture in ways that can help us apply its truths. When we read the Bible as if hearing that story or that event for the first time, we can discover something new in its pages. And it can be an inexhaustible source of truth and encouragement. The prophet Ezekiel spoke to the people of his day about applying the word of God to their lives. They loved to listen to the word but did not do well in practicing what they heard. So God spoke to Ezekiel, saying, “To them you are like a singer of love songs, one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; they hear what you say, but they will not do it” (33:32, NRSV). Jesus expanded on this theme: “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matt. 7:24, NIV). Scripture takes on tremendous power when we apply it every day. It addresses our problems, displaying God’s concern for us and God’s wisdom to help solve these problems. Putting the word of God into practice can improve our relationships and give us direction for our lives. Instead of resolving only to read the Bible, we can resolve to live it!
The Author: Andy Baker (Tennessee, USA)
Thought for the Day: What is God’s word showing me today?
Prayer: Dear God, as we read your word, help us to discern your message for our hearts and lives each day. Amen.

Prayer focus: Someone who doesn’t have access to a Bible
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O God of all Creation and all creatures great and small, God of all peoples and each child born everywhere, open our hearts we pray to the children in this place and to all the precious children who have been displaced from their homes by poverty, violence, economic injustice and exploitation and forced to flee for their lives to this land. May we like Rachel cry out for them. May we like Hagar seek springs in the desert for them. May we like Miriam protect them from the powerful who would do them harm. May we like Mary celebrate them as gifts of God to us all. May we like Jesus proclaim to the hard hearted of this land “ Let the children come. Do not hinder them. For to such as these belongs the realm of the God of justice and compassion and peace and when we exclude them we exclude ourselves from that realm.”
O God we pray for those in this place and beyond this place who are seeking to be instruments of your tender , loving care, your wings of protection and your spirit of justice on behalf of these vulnerable ones. Grant them wisdom, Grant them courage for their living of these days. And, Lord, touch the hearts and consciences of the decision makers of this land so that they might rise above the prejudices , vanities and petty ambitions that would cause them to treat these precious children as pawns in the game of politics. Move our leaders, O God, to do what is right , what is good , what is humane and to refuse to cast these children back callously to the lands of their suffering.

Hear our prayer O Lord, incline your ear to us and grant all peoples and each child everywhere your peace. This we pray in the name of all that is Holy and Sacred. Amen.(Pastor Danuiel Farley)
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