This Easter season, I've been pondering one of my favourite verses in the Bible.
...the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there. Ezekiel. 48:35 KJV
I get a warm fuzzy feeling every time I read that verse.
There's just something special about those last few words, "The LORD is there." It fills my heart with gladness, and I want to experience that. Not in the future kingdom Ezekiel is talking about. I long to experience that reputation now.
This city has a reputation throughout the world as the place where God is. How special is that?
More people darken the doors of church at Easter and Christmas than any other time of the year. What if they came to your church and felt like they had met God? What if the community at large thought of your church as 'the Lord is there'?
What if they said that about you?
Do you know such-and-such? Oh, yes, they have such a sweet spirit. God lives in them. I just know it.
I had a privilege the other day. One of my son's friends from India wished me a Happy Easter. Then the little boy stopped and looked up at me with complete trust I'd know the answer and tentatively asked, "Is Friday Easter?"
It was such a special moment. To know that boy had full confidence I could explain this foreign holiday to him. Whether he thinks any Australian could, or it was because I'd given him an Easter treat bag with a note explaining Easter, I probably won't know here on earth. But,
I want to strive to be the person people look to. The one they know they can ask about God.
How can we accomplish that? Well, we have to be bold. We have to talk about God, and that can be scary sometimes. I still get nervous because it doesn't always end with a sweet kid looking up at me with trust. Sometimes, it ends with someone spewing hateful things at me.
But people won't know they can turn to you if you never mention God.
You can start with small things. When they talk about what everyone did on the weekend, have you ever mentioned going to church?
We cannot have this wonderful reputation Ezekiel writes about unless God is prominent in our life. He'd have to be glorified in what we do and say. He must be first.
Wouldn't that be something? To have such a reputation as, "The Lord is there."
Background image by Samil on Pixabay, altered by Dienece on Canva.
Want more Easter Devotional Blogs?
Here are some links to Easter blogs written by author friends of mine.
Surgery for Easter by Steph Penny
It’s Kind of a Big Deal by Karen Brough
A Gift Unnoticed by Tamika Spaulding
On being surprised by Susan Barnes
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