“Because you said, ‘These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will take possession of them,’ although the Lord was there.”
– Ezekiel 35:10
So this verse comes in the middle of a chapter where God is addressing Edom’s mockery of Israel and Judah. And basically God is saying, “When you mock my people, you are mocking me. You’re mocking Israel and Judah, but I’m there in these two nations, these two countries. And when you mess with them, you’re messing with me.”
It’s the same picture we see, think about Jesus coming to Saul in the Book of Acts and saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And you read that and you think, “Well, he’s not persecuting Jesus, he’s persecuting Christians. He’s going after the church.” And Jesus says, “Saul, when you mess with the church, you’re messing with me.” Jesus identifies with his people. God identifies with His people.
What a picture to go into today with, as someone who’s trusting in Jesus amidst whatever you’re facing in the world. This is Romans 8, isn’t it? “If God is with us and for us, who can be against us?” God promises to defend His people. God promises to uphold His people. God promises to work on behalf of His people. God promises ultimately to bring about justice for His people, for all who trust in Him, who obey Him, who walk with Him, worship Him, fear Him as His people.
So God, may that be so among us today. May we live in total alignment with your presence, with your word, trusting in you, obeying you today. We want the fullness of your presence in our lives knowing that if you are with us, and if you are for us, nothing can stand against us.
Jesus, we praise you for that privilege of being identified with you as your body, as your bride, and the one you are committed to defending, and leading, and guarding, and guiding, and protecting, and preserving to the end.
God, we praise you for your faithfulness to your people amidst all kinds of attacks in this world. We praise you for the security that we find in you, the contentment we find in you, the joy we have in knowing that we can rest completely in you and your defense of us, and your provision for us.
As we praise you for this in our lives, we pray that you would use our lives to bring more people into the fold of your people, more people into the sheep of your pasture. In light of what we prayed about in Ezekiel 34, more people who you are amidst.
God, we pray for the people of Peru, the small people group in the grassy plateaus of the Eastern Andean foothills of Peru. God, you know this people group, you love them. God, we pray that you would come to their defense, that you would make yourself known as Savior among this people group in this remote part of Peru. God, please, may it be so that they might know your presence among them, your protection of them, your security for them in Jesus.
Oh God, we thank you for the privilege, honor, joy, security, peace that’s found in being your people. And we pray that you’d help us to live in that today, and to lead others to know you in this way. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
