Quarantine Chronicles Devotion #1

Read (Ezekiel 20:8-14)

Once again, we see Israel sinning against God after He has given them plenty of second chances. In this passage, God is telling Ezekiel what to tell the people. It’s like God pulled out screenshots of text messages; He is telling Israel exactly why He is mad at them and reminding them of all the times He gave them mercy but they didn’t listen. This way, there wouldn’t be any excuse or cries claiming they don’t understand the reasons for what they are going through. God is giving them a wake up call before He lets the hammer drop.

I think God is doing something similar with this quarantine. This could be the last call for people to be saved before the rapture or greater judgment on our nation comes. Maybe it isn’t. This could be a reprimand for how far we have wandered from remembering that seeing souls saved should be the first priority for Christians. Maybe it isn’t, but I think the latter is the case.

Like the children of Israel, we have gotten comfortable in Egypt. Egypt is always a picture of the world. We have become accustomed to the ways of the world and maybe even adopted some of its practices. God reminds us to be in the world but not of the world (1 John 2:15; Romans 12:2). This coronavirus could be a wake up call or it could be the first of America’s own series of plagues. I don’t know. I’m not claiming to have any more insight than anyone else, but this is something that God has called to my attention. As Christians, we must believe that we were called here for “such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). Technology has made it so easy to witness to people and spread the gospel, even through times of physical isolation like this one. So why aren’t we doing more?

Maybe we’re just so used to “Egypt” that we don’t care. Maybe we’re even more like the children of Israel than we think. Beginning in verse 9 in the Ezekiel passage, God talks about how He prevented them from continuing in their ways so they wouldn’t slander His name through their testimony (or lack thereof). It is quite possible that maybe that’s why this is happening. With everything closing, we have more time on our hands than many know what to do with. It’s a great time to think about what’s important and reflect on how we’ve been living our lives. How much are we wasting? How have we been neglecting the Lord?

Are we pleasing the Father through our thoughts, words, and actions? We know that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34b), and that our beliefs impact what we do. So what’s really going on in our hearts? Are we dwelling on the things that God calls us to think on in Philippians 4:8?

Instead of using this time to procrastinate, scroll through social media, and get down on ourselves, why not use this time to make some lifestyle changes? Almost everyone is out of their regular routine, so it’s the perfect time to make changes that will impact you for the better in the long run.

Here are some things to consider:

How much time do you spend. . .

•        Reading your Bible?
•         Praying?
•         Exhorting the brethren?
•         Witnessing to others?

Why do you think this is the case?

What are ways that you can draw closer to God today? This week?

How can you redeem the time during this quarantine to draw closer to God and those around you?