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| A Treasury of Daily Devotionals by C.H. Spurgeon
A Thorough Cleansing
"Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean:
from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you"
(Ezekiel 36:25).
What an exceeding joy is this! He who has purified us with the blood
of Jesus will also cleanse us by the water of the Holy Spirit. God hath
said it, and so it must be, "Ye shall be clean." LORD, we feel and
mourn our uncleanness, and it is cheering to be assured by Thine own
mouth that we shall be clean. Oh, that Thou wouldst make a speedy work
of it! He will deliver us from our worst sins. The uprisings of
unbelief and the deceitful lusts which war against the soul, the vile
thoughts of pride, and the suggestions of Satan to blaspheme the sacred
name-all these shall be so purged away as never to return. He will also
cleanse us from all our idols, whether of gold or of clay: our impure
loves and our excessive love of that which in itself is pure. That
which we have idolized shall either be broken from us or we shall be
broken off from it. It is God who speaks of what He Himself will do.
Therefore is this word established and sure, and we may boldly look for
that which it guarantees to us. Cleansing is a covenant blessing, and
the covenant is ordered in all things and sure. | | |
| some context: Nebuchadnezzar "was driven from among men an ate grass like an ox,
and his body was wet with dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles' feathers,
and his nails were like birds' claws. At the end of the days, I, Nebuchanezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever. For his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?" (Daniel 4:33, 34-35)
Praise the LORD, for he has done marvelous things and his faithfulness is true!
Notice that Nebuchadnezzar's reason returns when he praises and honors the Lord... He's finally learning the ways of the Lord. Humanity has fallen into foolishness- it has been happening since the Fall in Genesis. Paul describes this process in Romans 1:21-23:
"For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things."
Only when Nebuchadnezzar had lived among the beasts of the earth did he truly learn how great mankind's sin was. More importantly, he saw the gravity of his own sin. Remember his previous foolishness... setting up a golden image and commanding the nation to bow down to it. He also has the dream that leads up to this beast-dwelling period. Daniel explains: "Break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity"(Daniel 4:27). Then he is driven from men and lives among the beasts. His realization of man's foolishness comes through the Lord's teachings to him. He also was taught of God's greatness. Nebuchadnezzar has learned that the Lord's purposes are perfect, sovereign. This is the moment when 'his reason returned to him'. The Scriptures say he became a wise man in the eyes of others and that they sought him out for advice. He no longer lived in futile, foolish thinking, but had learned the truth of God.
This is the point where Nebuchadnezzar fades from the account in Daniel. Perhaps he dies soon after of old age, or perhaps the author merely knows that he has learned his lesson and God no longer had to teach him in drastic ways.
The last words we hear from Nebuchadnezzar's mouth attest to the Lord's work in his life:
"Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble." (Daniel 4:27)
Sovereign Lord,
How great you are indeed! Thank you for the teaching we receive from your Word, and that your Word alone shall endure. Teach us also to see our foolish thinking and return to you Truth. Christ is indeed the Way, Truth, and Light. May we continually be coming to the foot of the cross with humility of heart and mind, as Nebuchadnezzar learned as he dwelt among the beasts. For we know you humble those who walk in pride, and not even a kingdom of power and might can stand up against your purposes. May we honor you as God and give you thanks in each moment of our lives, for your hand provides our every breath. Rule in our hearts with your sovereignty, and establish your everlasting kingdom in my heart, with Christ as king. May we be obedience to the counsel you gave to Daniel, by breaking off our sins and practicing righteousness, and by showing mercy to the oppressed. We know that alone we can only fail to follow these commands, so by your spirit and Christ's power, lead us to obedience. Grant us the repentance and faith you have granted your servant, Nebuchadnezzar. To my Lord and Saviour I lift these words, Amen.
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| i'm pondering the value of bringing this back... for the joys it brings processing and reflecting through life's adventures...
we shall see. | | |
| Betrayers
By Kim Hekman
Peter and Judas
both supped with Thee
then, beloved abandoned-
Thee suffers; they flee.
Ay, three times I heard it,
even kissed Thy face
now, clasping Thy feet
I only live by Thy Grace.
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| i've decided i'm leaving for lent.
email me... xanga's on vacation. God needs my thoughts more than you guys. 
Live a life of PRAYER this lenten season!!
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