Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need! Psalm 23:1.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11.

In the sermon yesterday, we learned how Jesus, the Son, sitting beside the Father, is able to intercede and know how hard it is to be human, and because they are one, the Father knows! Why the things that happened in history and the hard things spoken of in our chapter? Because they were needed. Just as surely as we need the love of God guiding us to a better way, we need His love showing us what is so wrong we are drowning and being destroyed by our sins today. In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Hebrews 1:1-3.

The various ways? Ezekiel 5…Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, had Ezekiel shave his head and beard and divide the hair into thirds to show what would happen. A third burned inside the city, a third struck with the sword all around the city, a third scattered to the wind with a few hairs tucked away in the folds of his garment, and a few hairs thrown into the fire to be burned up, v. 1-4. Why? “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: This is Jerusalem, which I have set in the center of the nations, with countries all around her. Yet in her wickedness she has rebelled against My laws and decrees more than the nations and countries around her. She has rejected My laws and has not followed My decrees. Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: You have been more unruly than the nations around you and have not followed My decrees or kept my laws. You have not even conformed to the standards of the nations around you. Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself am against you, Jerusalem, and I will inflict punishment on you in the sight of the nations. Because of all your detestable idols, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again.” v. 7-9. It got so bad in Jerusalem that parents ate their children, and children their parents, v. 10. We understandably recoil away from that in horror. Can we then turn away from the sins of the heart and mind that bring such destruction to ourselves and others then and now? When you have had your fill of seeing all the destruction done in this broken world, remember. There is a better way and it is with Creator God leading us by the light of His love and His wisdom. The love of God cleanses our hearts and minds and brings us His peace. He, who does not sin, provided purification for our sins by His death! He does this for our good in Him! Then He rose to be with the Father and with us by His Spirit dwelling within us so we can understand and live in ignorance no longer. There is so much we can understand with Him helping us! Seek Creator God and find the renewal He longs to provide. Do we truly think God would never lower Himself to be human? A god who does not love His creation couldn’t. When we understand that, this beautiful truth will resonate within us: For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. John 3:16-17.