August 16, 2026
August 15, 2026
Aug 16, 2026 “The God Who Brings Us Home”(Ezekiel 39:21–29)
Ezekiel 39:21-29 New International Version
21 “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.
22 From that day forward the people of Israel will know that I am the Lord
their God.
23 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.
24 I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses,
and I hid my face from them.
25 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will now restore the
fortunes of Jacob[a] and will have compassion on all the people of
Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name.
26 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.
27 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.
28 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.
29 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.”
Ezekiel 39:25 Or now bring Jacob back from captivity
The God Who Brings Us Home
Ezekiel 38:21-29
It happens little by little, but then one day, we see how far we have drifted from God. It is one ignored conviction at a time.
Ezekiel 39:23 ESV
[23] And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they dealt so treacherously with me that I hid my face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword.
We should not pray that our circumstances change but rather our relationship with God would change.
Ezekiel 39:25 ESV
[25] “Therefore thus says the Lord God: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for my holy name.
Although Israel has abandoned God, it is God who does the work to restore us. This is what is wonderful about Grace. It is God that comes looking for us even though we are lost in sin.
Maybe today, you feel far from God. You feel that you have made horrible choices, or that you have drifted far from God. Yet, it is God who comes for us.
Our first response might be, "Why?". If you really think about who you are and what you had done, you would be amazed and ashamed that God would rescue you.
Ezekiel 39:29 ESV
[29] And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord God.”
God not only just rescues His children, but He also restores our situation with him. He restores His relationship with us. What we seek should be only God.
God comes near and forgives and also restores. The greatest miracle is not a change in circumstances, but a change in heart. This is what God does for us.
When we were lost in sin, God came and sought us out. We did not earn grace. Grace does not allow us to do whatever we want. Let us hear God's voice calling us home. We don't need to change before returning home. We just need to make that effort to return to God.
God's Grace is the final word.