Ezekiel 11:16b “Yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.”
Ah, human nature-how amusing it is! We often find our worth or security in a place or position. Some people find their worth and security when they have a low position in a prestigious place. For instance, a guy may flunk out of his first semester at Harvard, but you can bet your boots Harvard will make it on his résumé! Why is this? He might have had a low position, but he had a low position in a very prestigious place.
Other people get their worth by having a high position in a meaningless place. You might be the president of some obscure association, but you are only the top dog in an unknown or insignificant place! Both examples seem hollow, but they are illustrative of how you and I naturally think. Some Israelites disdained their Jewish brethren who had been taken captive because they still occupied Jerusalem.
I love God’s response to the captives who were downtrodden, dismissed, and displaced. He says, “Although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.” They weren’t in God’s Promised Land anymore, but God was still with them. God was “there,” no matter where “there” was!
Are you confident in your place or position? Or are you confident in the God who has given you a place in His family? Even Solomon, who built the great temple to God, did not build a kingdom to himself. He realized that the God of Heaven would not be confined by a building or a location on earth. If God is not your confidence, you have the wrong place and the wrong position!
There are places that are very special and dear to my life. The Bill Rice Ranch is one of those places. I can think of very important, life-changing decisions I have made on the Ranch, even down to the specific spot. I thank God for those places at the Ranch, but no place should ever replace the God who makes it significant. God alone can provide the security you cannot find in a place or the merits of your own position. I am not great, and in the grand scheme of things, neither is any position I might attain. There is no special place unless God is there. If God is there, He is the One who gives the worth and power we need in our lives.
Prayer Requests:
1. Services tonight in New Buffalo, MI and Louisville, KY
2. Day of Champions Youth Event this weekend (5.5.12)