Would I Have The Mark?

All throughout the bible God speaks of marking His people so that they will be easily recognized as His.  One such example is found in Ezekiel 9.  Ezekiel was experiencing a vision from God and in it God was announcing His plans to destroy the people of Jerusalem.  God had entered the temple where idolatry was running rampant and the people were committing sins of every kind.  God was angry at what He saw and the time had come to punish the people for their sins. God chose one man to "Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all who weep and sigh because of the detestable sins being committed in their city (v.4)  Then a group of men were commanded to "kill everyone whose forehead was not marked.  Show no mercy; have no pity!" (v. 5)

I had to put myself in this place and think on whether I would receive this mark on my forehead.  Do my actions follow the characteristics of a person who puts her trust in one God.  Do I weep over the sins happening all around me?  Do I hurt for the hurting and cry for the injustice in my nation and my world?  On this day, thousands of years ago, the only way to tell if someone was faithful to God was in their sorrow over the sins of their nation.  Because their sorrow showed that they acknowledged the wrong and weeped over the pain and consequences that would consume their people.  They believed in God and feared the Lord's punishment.

So let's just say I was alive back then.  I had a best friend who had lost a child during her pregnancy and since then had much difficulty getting pregnant again. She was desperate to give her husband a child, a son to carry on the family name.  One day she decided to trust in a god of fertility.  This god promised to give her a child and keep her baby safe through pregnancy.  Then I had another friend who was a fisherman but for months the waters were dried up and the fish were not biting and so he turned to the god of fish (yeah not sure if this is real but you get my point).  I was experiencing sin everywhere I turned and instead of standing up against it and rebuking the wrong in it I sat back and let it happen.  By not speaking up I encouraged the people I loved to put their trust in something or someone other than God.  I was not affected by the sin nor did it make me sad......it had just become the norm in my sinful society.  Oh, but this sounds like society today........this sounds like life as we know it, and that, my friend, scares me.

Since Jesus died on the cross for me and I have accepted Him as my Lord and Savior, and because I follow God and have a relationship with Jesus Christ I know that I am safe from this kind of punishment.  I know that I cannot and will not go to hell because Jesus unselfishly suffered a horrible death to give me eternal salvation.  What I don't know is the consequences that may one day come from my tolerance to sin.  What punishment may arise because I was afraid to stand up for God and christianity.  Who will suffer because I was afraid to share the light and encourage their trust in one God, my God?  Friends, if we aren't heartbroken over the sins in our community, our nation and our world, then it may just be that we aren't as faithful as we thought.  Do our actions speak out against the sin and destruction that occurs around us daily?  Do our words speak truth in love so as to spur others on towards a faith filled life instead of a life run by lies and compromise?

Dear God, the things happening in our world do break my heart.  The senseless murdering, the disregard for babies in their mothers womb, the ignorance of the bible, and the selfishness.  There is evil everywhere and the lies that people are believing make my heart sad.  Give me boldness and wisdom to stand up for You and to guide people away from worldly standards and into Your loving arms.  I am sorry for the sins of my people and I ask you to forgive those who just don't know what they are doing. Show me ways to help others.  Give me opportunities.  Amen and amen