264th Week, Ezekiel Chapters 30-34 (Click on Title for Video Introduction)

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Click on Title for Video Intro


Monday, Ezekiel Chapter 30
Ezekiel 30
Verse 24
Jeanie Boldt

Verse 24:  I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put my sword in his hand, but I will break the arms of Pharaoh, and he will groan before him like a mortally wounded man.

THOUGHT
When I was reading and studying the book of Daniel and all the mean things that King Nebuchadnezzar did, never did I realize that The Lord would use him for His own need. God wanted to destroy Egypt’s military superiority and give it to Babylon. The rising and falling of all the different nations at times gets so tiresome to read about and hear about. However, God allows it to accomplish a particular purpose way beyond our immediate understanding.  

I guess we should not despair when our country is involved in certain unrest and war conditions.  We must remember that God is sovereign and in charge of everything, even military might.

We must remember to pray for our military and government leaders. We must pray that God’s greater purpose would be carried out and that His will would be done “on earth as it is in Heaven.” When we hear of our men dying and lives and families broken, it is hard to see God in it. However, we must pray for the will of the Lord and somehow visualize the ‘Big Picture’.

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we come with laden hearts when our country is so torn part that our government can not even be open and run. Families are being broken apart. We pray that Your Will is being done. We surrender our questions and our doubt to You and put it in Your Hands. Make us strong believers of Your Will and Way in the actions of our country and its leaders. Please be with our warriors and their families. Protect them and keep them loyal to each other.  In the Name of Jesus.  AMEN


Tuesday, Ezekiel Chapter 31
Chapter 31 
Verse 16                                                                 
Jeanie Boldt

Verse 16:  I made the nations tremble at the sound of its fall when I brought it down to the grave with those who go down to the pit.

THOUGHT                                                                      
I couldn’t help but parallel this chapter to myself and all of us as Christians. We are the trees of life that become too involved with worldly things and miss the true meaning of the reasons we are here and our focus on Christ. Our personalities become selfish, and we become captive to the things that become so important to us here on earth. Our actions do not just involve us either. Just as the chapter tells us, the tree is home to birds (we provide for family), provide shade and shelter for those beneath it (we deal with family and friends at our job and activities), the roots went down for moisture (we are responsible for nurturing), and it’s just one in a forest (we are only one in millions on God’s earth). 

Many people are affected by our actions, thoughts, beliefs, relationships and priorities. There are times when we do lose sight of God and allow our captors to take God’s place. That is when the Lord delivers us to a pit. We are at a low place on our journey just as the verse says.  It is only with God our Father and the saving grace of Jesus Christ that we can remove ourselves from the pit.  

We must recognize the Captor, stand in agreement with our God, confess it and ask for forgiveness, remove the captor, fill our hearts with truth (Word of God, prayer, relationships with Christian people, praise music), change our thoughts to ‘the mind of Christ’, and place God way above our captor. Thank God we have the Holy Spirit to fill those holes in our heart and soul with His Truth and Love.

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we thoughtfully surrender those captors in our lives, the thoughts that fill our heart and mind and take the place of You. Make Your Word and Love first most in our minds. We pray for Your Will and Way in each of our lives.  Thank You for the spiritual strength of the Salt Shakers, a resource for our soul and direction. Keep us in daily prayer and in relationships that You are walking directly by us. Holy Spirit, fill us so full today that we have no room for the captors in our lives. In The Name of Jesus.  AMEN


Wednesday, Ezekiel Chapter 32
Ezekiel 32
Jeanie Boldt

THOUGHT
Included in my thoughts today will be some things that I learned from my Application Bible and Bible Commentary. This chapter is about a prophecy given in 585 BC. It was two months after the news of Jerusalem’s fall had reached the exiles in Babylon. Ezekiel prophesied numerous judgments upon many wicked nations. These judgments served a positive purpose: They showed that evil forces are continually being overcome, and that one day God will overthrow all evil, making the world the perfect place He intended. They also served as warnings that God alone is sovereign. Even the mightiest rulers, like Pharaoh, will fall before God. All are accountable to Him.

The chapter discusses the ungodly Pharaoh. He thought of himself as a strong lion, but in God’s eyes he was nothing but a crocodile “monster” muddying the water. The verses were very clear as to what our God thought of him. God would destroy him. Our Lord’s judgment would reduce Pharaoh to his true size. Anyone who defies God will face his judgment.  Not only did we hear about the bad things King Pharaoh did, we read about all the evil nations doing evil things. After reading Ezekiel’s prophecies against all these foreign nations, we may wonder if he was blindly loyal to his own nation. But Ezekiel spoke only when God gave him a message. Remember that God is the King and rules among the nations as He pleases. What He does has one grand purpose: that the nations may know He is the Lord. When nations and rulers start to think they are gods, God has to remind them that He alone is the God of all the earth.

Babylon was not mentioned as one of the evil nations. God was still going to use Babylon to refine His own people. The Lord wanted to use Daniel, a powerful official in Babylon to draw the Babylonians to Him.

PRAYER
Father, may we do our best to live Christ-Like lives so our nation may experience Jesus-filled happy people. Help us to be the best examples we can for our Lord. Forgive us all for doing things that hurt our Lord. Help us raise the USA up to be a nation the Lord would be proud to say, “They are my people.” May our country return to the principles that our country was founded on. In the Name of Jesus. AMEN


Thursday, Ezekiel Chapter 33
Ezekiel 33 
Verses 31-32
Jeanie Boldt

Verses 31-32:  Twice in two versus the same phrase is written, “They listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice.”

THOUGHT
This Chapter sets the stage for the new direction for Ezekiel’s prophecies. Up to this point, Ezekiel has pronounced judgment upon Judah and the surrounding evil nations for their sins. After Jerusalem fell, he turned from messages of doom and judgment to messages of comfort, hope, and future restoration for God’s people. Here God appointed him to be a watchman again, but this time to preach a message of hope. However, even this message does not improve the people’s response. They listen to him with curiosity and then live as they please.

God gives us the opportunity to turn to Him if we will take it. We must sincerely follow God, and ask Him to forgive us when we fail.  God will remember to bless those who are faithful to Him. We must pay attention to both aspects of Ezekiel’s message; warning and promise.

At the last of the chapter I wrote out the phrase that was stated twice. We cannot make people accept our message; we can only be faithful in delivering it. Ezekiel was such a faithful messenger. I wonder how many of our pastors and missionaries and many born again Christians feel defeated after sharing the Word and then sitting back and observing the lives of those they speak truth to. Let’s be encouragers for our pastors and teachers. May we listen to the Words, and may we put them into practice.

PRAYER
Father, we Salt Shakers give You our wholehearted love and obedience. Help us remain faithful to the Word that we read and hear from You. Help us to apply it daily and put it into practice.  We love You and can’t wait to give You Thanks and Praise Sunday in church. In God’s Holy Name. AMEN


Friday, Ezekiel Chapter 34
Ezekiel 34 
Verse 2b
Jane Jones

Verse 2b¨ “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?”

THOUGHT
Tonight let’s take a look at what makes up a bad shepherd and a good shepherd.

BAD SHEPHERDS vs GOOD SHEPHERDS

BAD SHEPHERDS
They care about themselves.
They worry about their own health.
They rule harshly and brutally.
They abandon and scatter the sheep.
They keep the best for themselves.

GOOD SHEPHERDS
They take care of their flock.
They strengthen the weak and sick and search for the lost. 
They rule lovingly and gently.
They gather and protect the sheep.
They give their best to the sheep.  

God sent a perfect shepherd, the Messiah, who cares for every need Hìs people have and will set up a kingdom of perfect peace and justice.

PRAYER
Lord, tonight may we make an asserted effort on being the Good Shepherd and not the bad shepherd.  Guard our hearts with discernment and wisdom and fill it with love, peace, joy, contentment, fulfillment and security. AMEN












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