29th. September. 2022.Daily Devotions.
9 ‘Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the 390 days you lie on your side. 10 Weigh out twenty shekel] of food to eat each day and eat it at set times. 11 Also measure out a sixth of a hin of water and drink it at set times. Ezekiel 4:9-10
Food for Hard Times
In some grocery stores you can find “Ezekiel Bread,” * which contains the same ingredients God told Ezekiel to use to make bread in this scripture
But the recipe God gave Ezekiel wasn’t intended to be an expensive specialty food. Although the combination of grains forms a complete protein and would have given Ezekiel a lot of important nutrients as he ate the small portions he was told to eat, the mixture of those ingredients was not part of his cultural tradition. It pointed to a pared-back diet for times of poverty and crisis. The wheat was to be mixed with grains and legumes that made for a scant vegetarian diet and weren’t very desirable. To make matters worse, Ezekiel had to cook the bread over manure!
This strange story is unsettling: Why would God ask Ezekiel to do this? And why did Ezekiel follow through even though it was awfully uncomfortable to do so?
There are no easy answers, but it seems that the message God intended here was that there would be harsh consequences for Israel’s disobedience, and yet this unusual bread would sustain people. A coming siege of Jerusalem would bring horrible discomfort, but it would not completely obliterate God’s people. It would be a wake-up call to turn back to God. Many years later, Jesus would sound a similar call for the people to recognize God in their midst. J P Vanderveen.
Lord, your ways puzzle us sometimes, and yet we trust you to turn us back to you. Amen.
*Ezekiel Bread, also called 7 Sprouted Grains Bread, can be bought on eBay or here: https://www.foodforlifeuk.com/ It is very good, but expensive as it is mostly imported from the USA or you can make your own! https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/7047/ezekiel-bread-i/
Love of the heart of Jesus, inflame us; strength of the heart of Jesus, uphold us; wisdom of the heart of Jesus, teach us; zeal of the heart of Jesus, consume us, now and forever. Amen Saint John Eudes. (1601–1680)
Entwine, O God, your very being, your word, your love, through our lives. Run through us like the trickling brooks of summer, like the raging torrents of winter, like the rays of summer sun, like the crispness of icy mornings, so that all our lives are flooded with your love, so that your love may seep and flow and flood and shine from us to all we know and love and care for. Amen.
Prayer During Difficult Economic Times Gracious God, We know that your love is infinite and that you care about all areas of our life. In this time of economic insecurity, help us to trust that all our security is in you.
Keep us mindful that you always have and always will provide for our needs.
Apart from you we can do nothing.
Merciful God, We ask that you give our leaders the wisdom to guide our nation and the world out of the current economic crisis.
Help us to protect the poor and all those who are struggling during this difficult time.
Provide for their needs and give them hope.
Open new opportunities for them and furnish the resources they need to live with dignity. Encourage those who have enough to share essential resources with those who lack the necessities of life, and to do so with humble, grateful and loving hearts. We ask this through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.