DCLM Daily Manna 10 November 2021 — Why Evil Occurs
DCLM Daily Manna 10 November 2021 Devotional by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — Why Evil Occurs
TOPIC: Why Evil Occurs (DCLM Daily Manna 10 November 2021)
📜 TEXT:EZEKIEL 9:1-11📜
1 He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.
2 And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.
3 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side;
4 And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
5 And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:
6 Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
7 And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.
8 And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord God! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?
9 Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not.
10 And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head.
11 And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.
🔑📖KEY VERSE: “Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not”
(EZEKIEL 9:9).
MESSAGE:
Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of Billy Graham said, after the September 2011 terrorist attacks on US soil, that God abandoned Americans because of their attitude towards transgender rights, evolution and the separation of church and state. She said, “there is silliness, there is craziness, there’s the most illogical rulings…To me, its evidence that God has backed away. If Americans repent, God would begin to reveal plots of terrorists before they are carried out”.
Ezekiel the prophet was in a dilemma in our text. He wondered how God could order the destruction and killing of His people, including the old and young. He cried to God for mercy when he saw in a vision where the instruction was given to those who had the charge of the city to move in immediately and commence the killing. But God replied Ezekiel that the iniquity of Israel and Judah had gone over the roof and the land was full of blood. On top of that, the people refused to acknowledge the existence of God, claiming He had abandoned the earth and that He “seeth not”. The few in the city who were still praying and sighing over the sinfulness of the place were spared, having been given a mark of identification beforehand.
As humans, we cannot be definitive about why God allows certain things to happen; but surely, the world has ignored Him for too long. Man behaves as if God does not exist. We have taken liberty to the extreme where we feel our knowledge of science and medicine is enough to handle whatever health challenges we have. As believers, we must keep denouncing the evils in our day, weep and pray over our cities for God’s mercy.
✍🏽THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: God’s love is revealed in His Judgments.
📜THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:` LAMENTATIONS 4-5📜
MEDITATION
RECEIVING AND MAINTAINING THE GLORY OF GOD
1. Destruction was pronounced against God’s city and temple; and the angels of destruction were commissioned to get it done, vv1,2.
2. The commissioned angels could not desecrate the temple and the city until the glory of the Lord departed from the Holy of holies, where the cherubs were, and from the whole temple, vv3,7.
3. Thus there is special mercy, grace, honour and protection in any place, people or individuals the glory of the Lord resides👌
4. “Ichabod”, the glory departed, was the exclamation of Eli’s daughter in law when she heard that the ark of the Lord was seized by the gentile Philistines with the news of the death of her husband and father in law, I Samuel 4:21,22. Such a disgrace, destruction and defeat could not have happened to the people of God if the glory of God was on and with them👌
Questions
a. What usually made the glory of God to depart from the people of God and His temple?
b. What can we use to depict the glory of God today?
5. Moses asked God to show him His glory, Exodus 33:18. It is equivalent to “shew me thy way” Exodus 33:13.
6. From God’s response, it is clear that the glory of God is the essence, the virtues and the personality of God exhibiting and attracting His presence which is evidenced by a life that is characterised with abundant goodness, graciousness, mercy, longsuffering and truth, Exodus 33:14, 19;34:5,6. It is a life that is an embodiment of the name of the Lord or what God is all about, Exodus 34:5.
7. There are different levels of manifestations of the glory of God, Haggai 2:9.
Question
Is your life full of the glory of God or it can be described as Ichabod?
PRAYER POINTS
1. Identify and pray for the restoration of lost glory and heavenly virtues in your life🙏
2. Pray that your life will increasingly reflect the glory of God. 🙏
3. Pray that all lost glories in the life of brethren will be restored and increased🙏
4. Pray that all participants at the coming crusade will experience the glory of God in an unprecedented manner🙏
HYMN
LET OTHERS SEE JESUS IN YOU
1. While passing through this world of sin,
And others your life shall view,
Be clean and pure without, within,
Let others see Jesus in you.
Chorus:
Let others see Jesus in you,
Let others see Jesus in you;
Keep telling the story, be faithful and true,
Let others see Jesus in you.
2. Your life’s a book before their eyes,
They’re reading it through and through;
Say, does it point them to the skies,
Do others see Jesus in you?
Chorus
3. What joy ’twill be at set of sun,
In mansions beyond the blue,
To find some souls that you have won;
Let others see Jesus in you.
Chorus
4. Then live for Christ both day and night,
Be faithful, be brave, and true,
And lead the lost to life and light;
Let others see Jesus in you.
Chorus
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20)
