“'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.” – Ezekiel 16:49

In his book, “Our Good Crisis: Overcoming Moral Chaos with the Beatitudes”, Jonathan K. Dodson points out our blind-spots with respect to pride:

We rarely think of ourselves as proud. Instead we think of others—“the arrogant guy,” “the stuck-up girl”—who seem to excel in pride as if they work at it. People from the entertainment industry may come to mind: Rosie O’Donnell, Christian Bale, or Beyoncé. Or from sports: Floyd Mayweather, Draymond Green, Nick Kyrgios.

Pride is easy to spot in those who are in the limelight but difficult to see in ourselves. When a video of Bale losing his temper and cussing out a camera crew went viral, people spewed judgments at him online. We often judge a high-profile person for an instance of arrogance, one explosion of anger, or a tirade rife with profanities, as if we’ve never done the same thing. We reduce people to the madness of a single moment.

The Lord desires us to be humble, not arrogant and prideful. Today in prayer, confess any sin of pride and arrogance and humbly seek the Lord with all of your heart.

"We have become an arrogant people, and we must understand our un-deservedness, and that without Him we can do nothing. Holy Spirit, bring us to a point of absolute repentance and confession and revival.” – Frank Page

God’s Word: “The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.” – Psalm 5:5

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2025, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EZEKIEL AND DANIEL †

"Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: 'Hear the word of the LORD!” – Ezekiel 13:2

Pastor Edward F. Markquart wrote: “The Old Testament prophet was to be keenly aware of the evil powers around them; they were also to be aware of the grand promises of the Messiah who was to come. And the worst sin of the prophet was to fall asleep, becoming lethargic to the surrounding evil, or becoming lethargic to the future possibility of the Messiah to come. The complacent prophets were the false prophets.

We then approach the New Testament and Jesus clearly calls out to us “to watch, be alert, don’t fall asleep,” don’t drift into spiritual lethargy about the evil around you, the evil peril around us and in us. Also, we are not to fall asleep to the grand possibilities of God’s wonderful miracles to unfold before our eyes. Stay awake. Don’t fall asleep.”

True prophecy of the Lord can be found in the Bible. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for giving us His Word in the Bible and spend some extra time studying it today.

“It behooves Christians to keep close to the word of God, and in every thing to seek the teaching of the Holy Spirit.” – Matthew Henry

God’s Word: “Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. They say, "The LORD declares," when the LORD has not sent them; yet they expect their words to be fulfilled.” – Ezekiel 13:6

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2025, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EZEKIEL AND DANIEL †

“But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself.” – Ezekiel 3:21

In 1915, the German consulate placed advertisements in the travel sections of major U.S. newspapers. The ad warned passengers on ships heading to Britain that they were entering a war zone, and they were in danger of having their ship sunk. Passengers ignored the ad, and set sail to England on the Lusitania. On May 7, 1915, the Lusitania was sunk off the coast of Ireland by a German U-boat. Among the dead were 128 American citizens, which sparked war fever in America. The Germans responded by saying they tried to warn the passengers. President Woodrow Wilson made diplomatic protests, and the Germans backed down on unrestricted submarine warfare. There was outrage over the German attitude that they had the right to sink passenger ships, and if any Americans died then it was their fault for being on the ship. Germany resumed the U-boat warfare in 1917, prompting an American declaration of war. The Germans had warned the passengers, but Wilson had warned them that the USA was ready to go to war. Germany did not listen to Wilson, and they ended up being defeated in the war.

Throughout the Bible, the Lord gives us warnings on how to live a holy life. Are you heeding His warnings? Today in prayer, confess any sin in your life and seek to follow the Lord as you read His Word.

“The Bible give us a list of human stories on both sides of the ledger. On list of human stories is used examples -- do what these people did. Another list of human stories is used as warnings -- don't do what these people did. So if your story ever gets in one of these books, make sure they use it as an example, not a warning.” – Jim Rohn

God’s Word: “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.” – 1 Corinthians 10:11

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2025, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EZEKIEL AND DANIEL †

“You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.” – Ezekiel 2:7

In his book “The Holy Spirit: Activating God’s Power in Your Life”, evangelist Billy Graham tells of the importance of witnessing with following illustration: “An old American Indian [Native American] legend tells of an Indian [Native American] who came down from the mountains and saw the ocean for the first time. Awed by the scene, he requested a quart jar. As he waded into the ocean and filled the jar, he was asked what he intended to do with it. ‘Back in the mountains,’ he replied, ‘my people have never seen the Great Water. I will carry this jar to them so they can see what it is like.’”

Wherever the Lord has you today, faithfully be His witness. Today in prayer, praise the Lord that He is a great God and share the love of Jesus Christ with someone.

“Never, for fear of feeble man, restrain your witness.” – Charles H. Spurgeon

God’s Word: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2025, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN EZEKIEL AND DANIEL †