Ezekiel 30:8
...."Then they will know that I am the LORD."
Seems to me that knowing about God and knowing of God would be a good thing, wouldn't it? I guess it all depends on what prompted this awareness of God. What were the circumstances that lead you to an awakening of the truth of who this God was and what He was capable of doing? It isn't just a matter of coming to terms with God, for if you look at the situation found in Ezekiel 30, it is a matter of having your eyes opened.
Multiple times in Ezekiel, God allows some terrible things to happen to the people. Why? Because the people have rejected Him to the point that they have totally turned away to do their own thing. God has called to them to turn back, knowing the danger they are placing themselves and their families in. Yet their hard hearts continue down the slippery slope of self-destruction. God then allows disaster to happen and closes out the verse by saying, "Then they will know that I am the Lord."
To me there are two ways we fall under this verse about knowing God.
1.) Through the destruction we bring into our life by our rejection of God. That would make Him our foe.
and
2.) Through our love and obedience to follow Him. That would make Him our friend.
Now, I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer but #2 looks like the best option.
I had much rather "know" God through following him than to know Him by my own self destruction.
Addiction operates in this manner.
We point the way out of addiction by turning to the ultimate Higher Power, Jesus. When someone starts this journey toward sobriety and life with Christ, there is a process of knowing. Knowing which comes through interaction with Christ on a daily basis. The farther you go with Him, the farther you are removed from addiction. A new life is forged in this following. Routine and discipline replace the chaos of our old lifestyle. We become stronger physically and spiritually as we pour ourselves into knowing Jesus.
This is kind of the heart of what we are doing at Vineyard Recovery. Using the discipline and grace of God to get to know Jesus better. Not a knowing of knowledge or information, but of truth and practical things we can put into our life that will aid us in this journey. If the Bible isn't a practical book for everyday living, then why read it? Time and time again, Jesus makes reference to "Hearing his words, and putting them into practice." This means that the instruction we receive is for daily living. No matter who you are........no matter where you live......it will aid you every day, in every way.
So what message are you receiving this morning?
One that is leading you out of the self destruction that sin/addiction brings to us....
Or one that is leading you to life? Real life. Life with Christ.
God on you....
mb
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