Sunday--Ezekiel 1. I didn't realize it before, but as I read through chapter one, it sounded strangely familiar! Four living creatures coming out of a fire, with the next 25 verses describing how they look and move and sound--so like many of the chapters in Revelation where John is describing the beasts and the horsemen and etc.
Monday--Ezekiel 2. This is a good chapter to have kids who get picked on and made fun of read. God warned Ezekiel that he would be among people who would not like him, but that it was okay and he shouldn't be afraid of the "scorpions".
Tuesday--Ezekiel 3. I feel like I should take 3 days to read this chapter, not because it's so long (only 27 verses) but because there's so much packed in here. 1) Ezekiel ate a roll and it was sweet in his mouth--John in Revelation ate a roll and it was sweet in his mouth also, but it turned bitter in John's stomach later. 2) Every mission field has its difficulties. If Ezekiel went somewhere that the people would readily believe, he would first have to learn a new language. If he went somewhere that the people already spoke his language, they might not be so quick to repent. 3) If people die in their sin and we don't first warn them about eternal death, their blood is on our hands, but if we do warn them, whether or not they believe, our hands are clean. Always a good thing to remember.
Wednesday--Ezekiel 4. 100% Ezekiel is a better Christian than I could ever be. It makes sense why God would want to use Ezekiel as an example for Israel, but I would think that He should punish someone who was actually being rebellious. It's a good thing God is God and I'm not Him, there would be a lot more bad people dying and good people being happy. I have a lot to learn.
Thursday--Ezekiel 5. Wednesday night, lying in bed trying to go to sleep, my husband and I were talking about the men we had been reading about in our devotions. He was telling me how in Jeremiah, God promised to save a remnant of the nation. And then today I read verse 10, "and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds." Hmm, what changes God's mind later?
Friday--Ezekiel 6. God says in this chapter that He will keep a remnant so that they know He is the Lord. Why did he just say one chapter ago that he would destroy them all? I see another late night discussion in my near future...
Saturday--Ezekiel 7. Again God says He will destroy everyone, if they're in the city they will face famine, if they're in the field they will die by the sword. It seems to my very limited view of thinking that God is wishy-washy in His proclamations of judgment. One minute He's going to wipe the earth clean, and the next He promises to protect His people. My husband helped me see how God can tell if repentance is true, and since He doesn't want to kill anyone, He gladly administers mercy. It encourages me to be sincere when I repent.