S) "28 Then they will know that I am the Lord their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then gathered them again to their own land; and I will leave none of them there any longer."
Ezekiel 39:28 (NASB)
O) This is near the end of a prophecy, describing a future invasion of Israel (ch.38), and then the destruction of those invaders (vv.1-24), and finally the restoration of Israel (vv.25-29). What stands out here, though, is the word "because" nestled in the middle, there. "Then they will know..." and He says it is "because I made them go into exile..." But it is not because of any random punishment. It is not because of a restoration, that they knew He was the LORD their God. It was because a prophecy that was hundreds of years old already, was coming to pass. God told Moses, who warned the people, that their unfaithfulness to Him would mean their exile from the Promised Land. The LORD proves Himself God because what He says will happen, is exactly what happens - over and over and over and over and over.
A) How do I know the LORD to be my God? When I listen to what He has said, do what He has commanded, and see whether or not His words are trustworthy. When His words are proven, as they always have been, as they always will be, but proven in my own life, then I will know He is God, my God. This isn't a one-time proposition, either. Just as this verse came hundreds of years into the timeline of God's people, after countless examples of His words being proven true, so I continue to know with more and more assurance, and in more depth, who the LORD my God is, by continuing to see His promises, warnings, and words coming to pass.
P) Father, Your words are true. You never lie, and You prove Yourself wise, powerful, sovereign, and good. Open my eyes and ears, to continually learn how true Your words are, over and over, forever. Help me to take notice, to understand Your words, so that when they are fulfilled I am quickly recognizing them as the fulfillment of Your promises. Let Your will be done in my life. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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