Five Minute Friday: Joy

As I sit here this morning pondering the word joy, 

outside my window (past the cat sitting in my way) I see snow.

I wish you could have seen him yesterday when the snow starting falling.

Sitting on his sofa watching the snow come down.   Doing his strange meowing that he does when something excites or interests him.

Then Hubby left to go do some work at the church.

The meowing changed.

He was distraught.

He paced and walked the house.  Checking every room.

Then hubby came back.

Contentment.

A quick jump up, a soft petting, and gentle purr.

Then back to sitting in his spot, watching the snow, with his excited "meows".

Isn't that how joy is fully expressed?

Joy is more than happiness.   Joy is happiness contained within something.

For this cat, for this Chase...joy is my hubby and snow falling.

What is your joy? 

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Five minute Friday was started by Lisa, and then continued by Miss Kate.  You can find her at her blog Heading home.   Every week she posts a word prompt.  This week the word is JOY. 

The rules are simple  Free write on word prompt for five minutes (more or less).  Link up.  Then go and encourage those who have gone on before.    Simple enough eh?  :)   Join us won't you?

Ezekiel is a Sign to the People

Today our study takes us into Ezekiel 24. You can find the ESV text here.
Since I like listening to the bible, here's the NIV audio.

My Thoughts: 

 The Word of the Lord God again came to Ezekiel, saying to him: “Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day."

A Parable was given to him, with a pot set to boil with choice meat pieces put into it from the best animal of the flock.   The best meat and bones, put on to boil well.

This pot is a sign to the land, the people, the rebellious house of Israel.  For this pot will be set to boil and burn and corrode until it is all burned up.  It will be burned until it is cleansed of all the meat and blood and bone.

And God's fury will be satisfied.
As He says: I have satisfied my fury upon you.  I am the LORD. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; I will not spare; I will not relent; according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord GOD.”

Ezekiel will have a hard thing happen to him next.   The things he delights in... will be gone.   Yet he will not be allowed to mourn or weep over it.  He can sigh quietly, but nothing more.

He told the people the parable in the morning, and by evening his wife was dead.

Can you imagine it?
Oh my... to be told this would happen and know that you couldn't externally mourn her loss.   
How difficult that must have been.

So the people asked:  “Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?” 

 The Lord's answer is thus:  Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword.  And you shall do as I have done; you shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men. Your turbans shall be on your heads and your shoes on your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but you shall rot away in your iniquities and groan to one another. 

So the things that Israel delights in... they will be gone.  Just disappear. They will not be able to mourn this loss.  Ezekiel is a sign to the people. And when what he has done, is done to them, they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.’

As for Ezekiel, once all this has happened, a fugitive will come to him and report to him the news.   When that happens, Ezekiel will no longer be mute.   Until then, he will be a sign to them.