Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Verse for the Week

Because you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not grieved him, and you have encouraged the wicked, that he should not turn from his evil way to save his life, therefore you shall no more see false visions nor practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand. And you shall know that I am the Lord. ~ Ezekiel 13:22-23 (ESV)

In this verse, there is a message to the prophets. A prophet is one who is charged with delivering the Word of God to the people. These particular prophets were not doing their job. In fact, they were undermining God's desire for the people. They were discouraging the righteous and emboldening the wicked, which is the opposite of what God had spoken.

Neither you nor I may be a prophet, but let's not miss an important point here. Just as streams and springs converge to make a river, we all contribute some impetus to the general course of what goes on around us. Do we support the right and oppose the wrong, or vice versa? Do we throw our weight behind the good, or the bad? Do we build up, or tear down? Is a righteous person grieved by our discourse? Does the wicked find an ally in us?

Should God direct people to us, or away from us?

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