Ezekial Prophet to Israel

Ezekiel was a prophet, speaking the truth to the nation of Israel.  They were an exiled nation living in the land of idols.  The book of Ezekiel was not only relevant to the nation of Israel but it’s relevant to us, today.

I knew that God was speaking from this book to me this morning as I was reading our weekly devotions.  When you get similar messages from the same book within two weeks, you have to wake up and listen.

This book is beautifully written.  The language just sucks you in.  God’s word written in so many styles, all reflecting the glorious creator that He is.

Here is the first verse that was revealed to me.

Ezekiel 16:4-20

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁴ As for your birth, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water for cleansing; you were not rubbed with salt or even wrapped in cloths. ⁵ No eye looked with pity on you to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you. Rather you were thrown out into the open field, for you were abhorred on the day you were born.

 ⁶ “When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ ⁷ I made you numerous like plants of the field. Then you grew up, became tall and reached the age for fine ornaments; your breasts were formed and your hair had grown. Yet you were naked and bare.

 ⁸ “Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold, you were at the time for love; so I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. I also swore to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became Mine,” declares the Lord GOD. ⁹ “Then I bathed you with water, washed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil. ¹⁰ I also clothed you with embroidered cloth and put sandals of porpoise skin on your feet; and I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk. ¹¹ I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your hands and a necklace around your neck. ¹² I also put a ring in your nostril, earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. ¹³ Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your dress was of fine linen, silk and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey and oil; so you were exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. ¹⁴ Then your fame went forth among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of My splendor which I bestowed on you,” declares the Lord GOD.

It’s beautiful like poetry.  But moreover, it speaks to you of what God is wanting to do for you.  He’s looking on us with a love that overcomes our naked, ugly, flesh.

This morning the verse was this:

Ezekiel 36:25-27

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

²⁵ Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. ²⁶ Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

Israel, like us, had been picked up and lifted to a place of glory.  God had brought them out of so much from the very beginning he just wanted to protect them, love them.  No matter what they did, no matter how much they failed, God was always ready to pick them up, tell them how loved and beautiful they were and set them back on a high place.  The book of Ezekiel is full of that message of love, redemption.  It should be a message showing us God’s great love and patience!  It’s wonderful news!

We are a chosen people!  God chooses us!  He chooses to pick us up, love us, clean us up!

He loves me, oh how He loves me, oh He loves me!  From now until eternity we should repeat this over and over, because He is standing with us, repeating it over and over to us, whispering it in our ears, waiting for us to realize it and hear it above all the other noise!

 

Organics and Such

Okay, just so you know this is going to be a rambling, standing on my soapbox, rant.  Not angry, just irritation really.

I have read a lot about organic farming and responsible animal rearing.  In the past I didn’t put a whole ton of thought into the food that I purchased.  Whatever was cheapest, tasted alright, and was quick to prepare is what I bought.  This is before, before my major transformation, and before I started seeing the effects from the food on the shelf.

The US has seen a major increase in the  number of people suffering from food allergies.  Primarily in the nut and wheat department.  I am always unsure of the reason for the influx.  Is it because doctors and scientists have been more successful in the diagnosis and effects or is it because there really is an increase.

The country has also seen an increase in the obesity rates in children and adults.  Some of this can be attributed to the gluttony of the American people, but I am sure that some of it is a decrease in the nutritional value of our produce and the additives allowed to be introduced to shelf stable foods.

The age that girls develop breasts and start their menstruation is getting younger all the time.  Children are a lot taller than they used to be too.  The scientists argue that this has nothing to do with growth hormones or steroids used in the cattle industry.  I don’t see another readily, believable reason.  Especially since I don’t believe in evolution.  Besides, if that were the reason, I would think the age that a girl could start getting pregnant would be 25 since women are waiting till later to start families.

Did you know that the vitamin content of oranges, apples, pears, grapes, in fact almost all fruits and vegetables is lower than it was in the 40′s and 50′s?

Did you know that farmers are forced to buy new seed each year to plant new crops?

Did you know that almost all food grown in the US is mass-produced and there is almost no human contact with the food anymore?

Did you know that almost all meat, poultry, and commercially grown fish, contains growth hormones, antibiotics and steroids?

All of these things really concern me.

Fruit producers and marketers came up with the bright idea that consumers would only buy fruit and veggies that were perfect.  I remember growing up that you would pull mutant carrots out of the ground.  They were twisted, growing carroty appendages, they looked weird.  It didn’t affect their taste.  The food pictured below isn’t waxed or polished, and I would buy any of it in a heartbeat.

You’ve seen the heirloom tomatoes that are in the organic section right?  Well, that is how I thought all tomatoes looked until we stopped growing our own veggies.  I remember the taste of home-grown vegetables from my childhood and this stuff in the store just doesn’t measure up.

We are starting to see a demand for the return to organic farming and the ethical rearing of livestock.  People are wanting to return to a more natural way of eating.  I pay a lot more out-of-pocket for organic fruits, vegetables, and meats, but I also feel a lot better about the food I am putting on the table.

These are just a few examples:  I buy Laura’s Lean Beef, it is beef from cattle that are untreated with antibiotics, hormones, and vegetarian fed.  I buy the most lean variety.  We drink Stremick’s Heritage Skim Milk.  The cows are fed organic grains and grass that are completely free of pesticides and the cows are free from hormones and antibiotics.  I also buy organic chicken from Foster Farms.  The eggs I buy are from chickens that are vegetarian fed, free range, happy chickens!  The yolks are a dark yellow, almost orange and they taste marvelous.  I buy the organic fruits and vegetables that I need to purchase.  Anything that we peel I don’t bother to buy organic.  For instance, bananas, avocados, potatoes, and onions.  However, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, sweet potatoes, apples, grapes…you get the point.  My ideas might change in time about those in time.

I try to buy seasonally.  If it’s in season it has more nutrients than those vegetables or fruits grown in hot houses, out of season.  I don’t focus on the looks of the organic stuff.  Some of it is ugly.  The apples aren’t waxed and shined, I have found huge slugs when cleaning up cauliflower.  I am glad that I can find nature doing what nature does.  I am also very happy not to have the taste of polish or wax when I eat a cucumber, or apple.

If  I had the space and knowledge, I would be growing my food, raising my own chickens.  Feelings of joy would be overflowing from my heart.