Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Revelation 5:11-12.

From You Are The Beloved by Henri Nouwen: “Whereas patience is the mother of expectation, it is expectation itself that brings new joy to our lives. Jesus not only made us look at our pains, but also beyond them. “You are sad now, but I shall see you again and your hearts will be full of joy.” A man or woman without hope in the future cannot live creatively in the present. The paradox of expectation indeed is that those who believe in tomorrow can better live today, that those who expect joy to come out of sadness can discover the beginnings of a new life in the center of the old, that those who look forward to the returning Lord can discover Him already in their midst.”

This morning in prayer I began to remember all the love and newness I experienced growing up. The sorrows and remorse, too. And He reminded me He is there. We were remembering together. And in our chapter, Ezekiel 43, Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, is reminding Ezekiel and the people that He will return to the temple. Then the man brought me to the gate facing east, and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with His glory. The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when He came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. The glory of the Lord entered the temple through the gate facing east. Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple. He said: “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place for the soles of My feet. This is where I will live among the Israelites forever. The people of Israel will never again defile My holy name – neither they nor their kings – by their prostitution and the funeral offerings for their kings at their death. When they placed their threshold next to My threshold and their doorposts beside My doorposts, with only a wall between Me and them, they defiled My holy name by their detestable practices. So I destroyed them in My anger. Now let them put away from Me their prostitution and the funeral offerings for their kings, and I will live among them forever. Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins. Let them consider its perfection, and if they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the design of the temple – its arrangement, its exits and entrances – its whole design and all its regulations and laws. Write these down before them so that they may be faithful in its design and follow all its regulations. This is the law of the temple. All the surrounding area on top of the mountain will be most holy. Such is the law of the temple.” v. 1-12. It goes on to describe the altar and the sacrificing to be done that it will be purified. In the notes below: “43:12 The basic law of God’s temple was holiness. In all He does, God is holy, perfect, and blameless. There is no trace of evil or sin in Him. Just as God is holy, so we are to be holy (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:15, 16). People are holy when they are devoted to God and separated from sin. If we do not understand the basic concept of holiness, we will never progress very far in our Christian growth. 43:18-27 This vision was simultaneously flashing back to Mount Sinai and forward to Mount Calvary. When the people returned from exile, they would seek forgiveness through the sacrificial system instituted in Moses’ day. Today, Christ’s death has made the forgiveness of our sins possible, making us acceptable to God (Hebrews 9:9-15). God stands ready to forgive those who come to Him in faith.”

There is a reason God teaches us. We have so much to learn and understand. Our whole lives are filled with lessons and opportunities to draw near to the One who can help us understand. Sometimes we need a reboot as did the ancient Israelites. And always it is deepest need that helps us realize how very much we need Creator God and that He is worth everything. When we reach the end of our abilities, we find God. And He helps us remember and draw strength and hope in His love for us. He is always with us.