Today's Reading November 15

Halfway through November already. Where has the year gone?
This morning's Old Testament passage is Ezekiel, chapters 10, 11, and 12.
After all that has gone before, and see the previous books for reference to what that little word ''all'' takes in, there is still disobedience, and there are still those who refuse to repent, and who take others along with them. And so we get yet another warning,

12:21 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
22 Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?
23 Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.
24 For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.
25 For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD.
26 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying.
27 Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.
28 Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.

One might think that eventually, someone would get the idea.

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This evening's New Testament reading is Hebrews, chapter 11, verses 1 through 19. This is sometimes called the Faith Chapter. You may hear it even from the TV preachers, and I love it as well.

Chapter 11

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
Gen 21:12 Rom 9:7 Gal 3:16
19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

My, that's good!
Right now, we are going through a very rough time. The details of that are unimportant. But what has helped us in all of the trials we have been facing, is the faith that the Lord has not forgotten nor abandoned us, that His eye is still on us, that we have not been cast aside in some sort of cosmic forgetfullness. And sometimes, sometimes, He is so close that we can nearly touch Him, can nearly hear Him audibly, that we can truly sense His presence. That helps us to remember that our faith is not a blind faith, it is a faith that Someone who we can not really see is there on the very edge of perception. Whether we see Him or not, we know that He is still there. And the trials and troubles of the day will one day be seen as just a mist, a vapor that vanishes with the sunrise.