Daily Reading
Daily Thought
God now prophecies, not against Judah, but against the nations surrounding her, for they took pleasure in her pain, yet shared her guilt. The climactic judgment is against Tyre, for she prided herself most of all.
“O Tyre, you have said,
‘I am perfect in beauty.’
Your borders are in the heart of the seas;
your builders made perfect your beauty.” ~Ezekiel 27:3-4
There is a story told of the wisdom of King Canute of England. When entering a room, the flattery began. “Your highness, there is nothing you cannot do,” someone would smile. “Great Canute, you are the monarch of all,” another would sing. “Nothing in this world dares to disobey you. The world bows before you, and gives you honor.” The king answered. “In that case, bring me my chair, and we will go down to the sea. Put it right at the water’s edge.”
“Sea,” cried Canute, “I command you to come no further! Waves, stop your rolling! Surf, stop your pounding! Do not dare touch my feet!” He waited a moment, quietly, and a tiny wave rushed up the sand and lapped at his feet. Another wave swept forward and curled around the king’s feet. The tide came in, just as it always did. The water rose higher and higher. It came up around the king’s chair, and wet not only his feet, but also his robe.
“Well, my friends,” Canute said, “it seems I do not have quite so much power as you would have me believe. My men, there is only one King who is all-powerful; and it is he who rules the sea, and holds the ocean in the hollow of his hand. It is he whom you ought to praise and serve above all others.”
“Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves” (Ezekiel 26:3). Tyre, a seafaring port on the coast of Phoenicia, boasted of her ship building and sea trade. But a ship serves the sea and the sea serves at the pleasure of God.
And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” ~Mark 4:39, 41
Daily Prayer
God, You are God and I am not. That’s one of the smartest things I can say. “I did it my way,” one of the dumbest. I am not in charge and the universe does not revolve around me. Sometimes I act like it does. I am sorry.
Almighty God, You are the center of my universe, my King of kings, my Lord and Savior. To live for Your pleasure is to live life to its fullest because it is what I was created to do.
Amen