A wonderful promise (Ezekiel 10-12; Psalm 83; John 4)

God has given some wonderful promises in Ezekiel 11 that bring great joy!

Although things look very bleak, the glory of the Lord has departed from, the temple (Ezekiel 10), and many of the people have been carried off into exile, with further destruction to come. It is so bad that Ezekiel cries out to God asking are you going to destroy all your people (11:13), and then God makes some amazing promises.

He tells the exiles that He has been a sanctuary for them (11:16). What is striking about this is that God has been a sanctuary for them outside of the promised land. Here is the shadow of the substance revealed to the Samaritan woman in our reading from John 4. It will no longer be about place, true worshippers will worship in spirit and truth (John 4:23). How wonderful to know God with you wherever you are, to know Him as your sanctuary.

But there’s more, God promises to deal with the problem that led to the exile, he promises a new heart (11:19). This is what we saw in yesterday’s reading from John 3. God promises new birth, a fresh start, sin washed away, and the Holy Spirit to dwell within us to help us live God’s way. Oh, you say, then why do I struggle with sin so much? Dear Christian, the struggle is a sign of life! If you were not a Christian, you would not struggle with sin, for you would just give in to sin again and again! But when the Holy Spirit begins working on you, He makes you aware of the sin, and helps you fight against it, the struggle is a sign of life. It’s a sign that we have the living water that Jesus promises.

In John 4:14 Jesus promises eternal satisfaction to those who trust Him, “a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” That is something to rejoice in today! To know that you have the first taste of eternal life, that Jesus will meet your deepest needs.