[Daily Devotion] September 12th, 2018

September 12, 2018
Seungsoo Jun
Daily Devotion

Today's Scripture

river flowing from the temple: Ezekiel 47:1-12

TODAY’S READING SCHEDULE: Ezekiel 46-48 (CEB)

When he brought me back to the temple’s entrance, I noticed that water was flowing toward the east from under the temple’s threshold (the temple faced east). The water was going out from under the temple’s facade toward the south, south of the altar. ²He led me out through the north gate and around the outside to the outer east gate, where the water flowed out under the facade on the south side. ³With the line in his hand, the man went out toward the east. When he measured off fifteen hundred feet, he made me cross the water; it was ankle-deep. ⁴He measured off another fifteen hundred feet and made me cross the water; it was knee-deep. He measured off another fifteen hundred feet and made me cross the water, and it was waist-high. ⁵When he measured off another fifteen hundred feet, it had become a river that I couldn’t cross. The water was high, deep enough for swimming but too high to cross. ⁶He said to me, “Human one, do you see?” Then he led me back to the edge of the river. ⁷When I went back, I saw very many trees on both banks of the river. ⁸He said to me, “These waters go out to the eastern region, flow down the steep slopes, and go into the Dead Sea. When the flowing waters enter the sea, its water becomes fresh. ⁹Wherever the river flows, every living thing that moves will thrive. There will be great schools of fish, because when these waters enter the sea, it will be fresh. Wherever the river flows, everything will live. ¹⁰People will stand fishing beside it, from En-gedi to En-eglayim, and it will become a place for spreading nets. It will be like the Mediterranean Sea, having all kinds of fish in it.¹¹Its marshes and swamps won’t be made fresh (they are left for salt), ¹²but on both banks of the river will grow up all kinds of fruit-bearing trees. Their leaves won’t wither, and their fruitfulness won’t wane. They will produce fruit in every month, because their water comes from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for eating, their leaves for healing.”

What does this passage mean to me/us

This passage is one of my favorite passages. God reveals the purpose of the restoration.
Restoration means that God fixed and shows what it should look like.
God’s plan was to pour out the blessing from the temple to God’s people, to bless the world.
However, people defiled the temple and disregarded this call to live for God’s mission to the world.

Let me make it clear. Being a blessing to the world does not limit to doing good things.
Being a blessing means that we receive the blessing from God, and sometimes are challenged by God, and we carry that blessing out to the church. Of course, good things are included in the blessing. However, the good deed cannot be the main part of sharing our blessing. Blessing means to open ourselves to receive and soak ourselves with God’s living water. When we do so, we will be able to share the blessing in this world.

Prayer

Lord, help us to desire the blessing that comes from you alone. Bless us so we can be a blessing to the world. We pray in Christ name, AMEN.

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