February 11 | Bible in a Year: Leviticus 11-12; Matthew 26:1-25

God Runs After Us

The Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. Ezekiel 34:11

For years, Evan struggled with an addiction that kept him from drawing close to God. How can I be worthy of His love? he wondered. So, while he kept going to church, he felt that there was an unbridgeable chasm that kept him separated from God.

Yet, whenever Evan prayed earnestly for something, God seemed to answer him. God also sent people to encourage and comfort him in difficult times. After some years, Evan realised God was constantly pursuing him and showing that He’d always loved and cared for him, and that’s when he began to trust in God’s forgiveness and love. “Now, I know that I’m forgiven and can let God draw me close to Him, even though I’m still struggling with my addiction,” he said.

Ezekiel 34:11-16 tells us of a God who pursued His people. “I myself will search for my sheep and look after them,” He said, vowing to rescue them and provide for them abundantly (v. 11). This was after their human leaders abandoned them, and they themselves disobeyed their true shepherd (vv.1-6). Whether we’re helpless victims of circumstances or struggling with the consequences of our own sin, God pursues us in love. In His mercy and grace, He draws us back to Himself. If you’ve forgotten God, turn back to Him. Then, as He leads, continue to walk with Him each day.

By Leslie Koh

REFLECT & PRAY

How has God shown you that He cares for you and loves you? How can you let Him draw you closer to Him?

Dear God, thank You for always loving me despite my struggles and doubts. Please teach me to trust in Your love anew.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

Ezekiel was both a priest and a prophet, prophesying from 593 to 571 BC. He was among the ten thousand captives brought out of Judea to Babylon in 597 BC, which included officers, soldiers, skilled workers, artisans, and eighteen-year-old King Jehoiachin and his family (2 Kings 24:10-15; 2 Chronicles 36:9). In Babylon, Ezekiel had his first vision at age thirty by the Kebar River (Ezekiel 1:1-3). He prophesied to a people who desperately needed to hear from God. The book’s main themes include the holiness of God and the sin of the people ( 36:22-23), which included judgment on those who turn away from God and mercy and hope for those who repent and trust in Him. During Ezekiel’s captivity (586 BC), Babylon besieged Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and burned down the city, carrying away the remnant of the people. The captivity lasted seventy years (2 Kings 25; 2 Chronicles 36:21).

Alyson Kieda

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