The Level Praying Ground

UV 1054/10,000 The Level Praying Ground
And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it.
Ezekiel 17 v 24

The Lord God is sovereign and just. He brings down the mighty crashing like a falling tree. He lifts up the humble and broken hearted. He counsels them and causes them to prosper. Those who flourish and gloat in their wealth, power and status will be brought in due time to nought like the drying up of a green tree. Those who have no hope and no strength or support, the Lord revels in causing to flourish to the sheer astonishment of the people around. To some He reveals Himself as a mighty God and consuming fire, to some others He reveals Himself as a compassionate Father. To some He reveals Himself as a merciful Saviour and to some as a righteous Judge.

Whatever the Lord speaks, He does it. The one source of sustenance and power for all types of human beings is the Word from the mouth of God. Hence, we need to focus on what the Lord has spoken in our lives. If we are a proud tree, we would humble ourselves lest the axe of the Lord fall on our trunk and roots. If we are a barren tree, we will start bearing eternal and useful fruit for the Lord. If He has given us warning, we need to repent and heed His words. If He has counseled us, we need to carry out every word in letter and spirit. If He has promised us, we need to cherish His promise. The spirit of the Lord will rest upon us as we seek the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of God. He will quicken our understanding and we will not judge by our sight or by our hearing but by the Spirit of the Lord. The more we lower ourselves in His presence, realizing our inadequacies, the more He will lift us up and supply what we are lacking.

The Lord desires that we go out into each day, praising, thanking and rejoicing in His presence. The mountains or challenges we face will then melt like wax in the heat of His presence. He will cause it to be a level playing ground and level praying ground where the mighty or powerful or glamorous or influential have no decided advantage over any of us. They will fall sooner or later to the righteous and sharp axe of the Lord while we will enjoy the mighty as well as gracious and faithful acts of the Lord in our lives. We clap, dance and celebrate the greatness of the Lord. He has breathed His breath of life into us. We can rejoice for life is not a chance, an accident but a deliberate choice that the Lord has made and a thoughtful choice that we have made. It is this mutual voluntary choice that makes our bonding with God a type of spiritual everlasting marriage.

Prateep V Philip