Displacing Disgrace: A How- to- Guide

It's Friday the 13th, there is a fear and stigma surrounding this day, concerning a lot of spooky and haphazard things. The things we perceive to be scary scientifically or supernaturally are not scary at all, being out of the will, power, and provision of GOD is what's frightening.*shivers*  There's a fear that should not only be feared on Friday, but everyday: disgrace. What's really scary is a nation that's gone to the dogs, that's falling right before our very eyes, a nation crumbling and falling short of the grace of GOD, being dethroned of glory, Woe for that nation.

In this excerpt I could easily be making reference to America, but it is Israel who had seemed to have their own problems. In Ezekiel 19 GOD instructs him to take up a lamentation for the nation. A lamentation is expressing sorrow, mourning, or regret for often demonstratively. It speaks of a lioness, a strong mother who raised her kids to be fierce cubs. They became great lions that devoured men and their prey. In their devouring, they were brought down by the nation. Their mother who once held such glory, power and splendor just as a tree was brought down. Once so fruitful productive High enough in glory and distinction to hold the scepter of a king, now barren, fruitless, and dry, definitely no longer fit to rule.

The lamentation and the mourning is set out for the fall of Israel, but losing and decreasing in the glory of GOD for ourselves is a sad, sad thing. Not arising in the glory and strength that we have through our father who is a great tree, is ridiculous.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

Israels past day of  lament should be our modern day encouragement. Without GOD we are fruitless, barren, and dry. He is the Lion of Judah and as His children we are expected to be powerful and ferocious. So in this "black" Friday if there is anything to be scared or freaked out about, it's about not living up to the potential that's within us, falling short of our royal heritage.

Let the conviction be on our hearts to learn, to pray for ourselves and this nation and to teach that which we know. In Ezekiel 19 the mother taught her cubs and they became ferocious. Regardless to Friday the 13th precepts, things don't just fall in to our lives by chance, we must actively pursue and go for learning. If we are learning and striving to  be our best we can teach, and make a more better world in the process. There is a real sadness about not living up to the potential within us. This day let's turn this thing and make the stigma one of falling short of greatness, let's be the best us that we can be. Remember Israel having to go around in circles for forty years, Now that's a real deja vu'.


Ezekiel 19