I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. (Ezek. 34:13)
Expanded Passage: Ezekiel 34:7-16; Jeremiah 23:1-6
Have you ever experienced a broken promise? Maybe a friend told you they would show up to help you in some way, and then they didn’t. Maybe you had a conversation that you were told would be kept confidential, and then you found out that the person shared information with someone else. Broken promises can leave us confused, disappointed, and angry.
As I read through the verses for this week, there was a single word that stood out to me. The word will is repeated throughout these passages of Scripture. This word carries with it a sense of expectancy. If someone says they will do something, then we expect them to follow through and make good on their word. “I will” is a phrase that we often associate with promises and keeping our word.
In this week’s verses the Lord says repeatedly that he will do something. These are promises he made through the prophets to the people. Because of the time that we are living in, we have the ability to see how God has fulfilled many of the promises that he made in Scripture. This gives us incredible perspective and hope. We can see that he is a God who has kept his promises, and by faith, we believe that he will continue to do so.
Reflect on how you have seen God fulfill his promises to you.
Deborah Rhodes is colead pastor of Parkside Church in Greenville, S.C. She is passionate about studying and teaching God’s Word.
© 2023 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
