Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4.

You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. Psalm 16:11.

O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by Your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for You! Jeremiah 32:17 NLT.

There is a special joy in sharing with Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. There is a closeness in looking out at what He has made and knowing He made that for us – and enjoying that with Him. Opening the shade this morning and looking at a puddle of rain water on the street softly reflecting the color of the cloudy skies and He was right there with me! He knows what is important! Closeness to Him and awareness of His nearness as we appreciate together the beauty He has created. He loves sharing these moments with us as we open our hearts to Him. And this chapter, Ezekiel 39, speaks of the future time when Creator God intervenes and returns and all will know He is holy and He is right here with us loving us. Would you fight against Him when He returns? Some will. “Son of man, prophesy against Gog and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshek and Tubal. I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north and send you against the mountains of Israel. Then I will strike your bow from your left hand and make your arrows drop from your right hand. On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds and to the wild animals. You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in safety in the coastlands, and they will know that I am the Lord. I will make known My holy name among My people Israel. I will no longer let My holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the Lord am the Holy One in Israel. It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord. This is the day I have spoken of. Then those who live in the towns of Israel will go out and use the weapons for fuel and burn them up – the small and large shields, the bows and arrows, the war clubs and spears. For seven years they will use them for fuel. They will not need to gather wood from the fields or cut it from the forests, because they will use the weapons for fuel. And they will plunder those who plundered them and loot those who looted them, declares the Sovereign Lord.’” v. 1-10. It goes on to describe where the hordes will be buried after the birds and animals have helped dispose of the corpses. It will take seven months to bury all of the dead and even then they will mark where bones are found so they can be buried and the land will be cleansed, v. 11-20. Do we realize what it will take for the nations to know that Creator God is? Our will chooses the things that lead to our harm and so it will be for those nations fighting against Creator God. “I will display My glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay on them. From that day forward the people of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God. And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to Me. So I hid My face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid My face from them. Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will now restore the fortunes of Jacob and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for My holy name. They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward Me when they lived in safety in their land with no one to make them afraid. When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. I will no longer hide My face from them, for I will pour out My Spirit on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.” v. 21-29.

And not just the people of Israel for God’s love is inclusive. All will come to know Him and in knowing Him will be blessed beyond measure. Closeness with Creator God is our greatest treasure! For it is in nearness with Him and His Spirit leading us that we begin to appreciate all that Creator God is doing. He brings healing into hearts sorely in need of Him. There is no heart not in need of Him. He includes us all. We have all of us lived in the brokenness of the lies of this world. It takes God’s Spirit within us exposing those lies to the light of His truth, before we can begin to embrace with joy the truth of His love for all of us that brings the healing we so desperately need. He will not leave any behind. You think you know Creator God? There is so much more! I can’t wait for Him to show me through all eternity! I used to read the letters of the Apostle Paul and wonder why he kept using those run-on sentences that went on forever. God’s love is that vast and can’t be contained in mere words and sentences. His vast love includes us all! Lies exclude and bring hurt and pain. Our Creator God includes. So Christ Himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ…From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:11-13, 16. Draw near to Him in a closeness He brings to you and rejoice for we are all of us His children dearly loved! That is our true treasure!