Daily Bible Readings
Today’s Bible Devotion
by Jeremy Martin (TN)
The title for this devotion is taken from Ezekiel 18:4, which states “Behold, all souls* are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins will die.” (REV) The statement that “all souls are mine” also ties in to parts of yesterday’s devotion. This is counter statement by God in response to a saying going around at the time among the Israelites, “The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge ” (in Ezekiel 18:2) which seemed to imply that children would be punished for the sins of their fathers. God reiterates, “No, it’s the one who sins who will be punished”.
Behavior Modification
I’ve already mentioned in previous devotions that I work with special needs children in a public school. It’s both challenging and rewarding. I’ve recently performed all the steps and passed my exam to become a Registered Behavior Technician (which is a paraprofessional certification in behavior analysis issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board , or BACB). I have to say, it’s been extremely useful, it’s a direct apples to apples application of behavioral training to my job at the school working with special needs kids. It’s been tremendously helpful.
We’re kind of trained to make observations about behavior, what reinforces that behavior, and how to adjust certain behaviors into more acceptable ones, without judgment. It requires us to be very self aware, and very self conscious in how we present things. It also requires exceptional patience, in addition to accurately observing what happens before, during, and after certain behaviors, and religiously recording data.
I had an experience recently** with a young child, who is extremely intelligent, but socially and behaviorally a little behind their peers. We are learning how to use the potty, and it is not a preferred activity. A timer was set, and they were told “when the timer goes off, we are going to put up the toys and go potty.”. Playing with toys is definitely a preferred activity. Going potty is probably just above administering a self-appendectomy in the rankings of preferred actions. So, when the timer went off, they had a little tantrum.
They announced “I will run away!” and tried to run past me: I blocked, redirected, and said “No, we will put up toys and go potty.”. “I will hide!” they said, and moved to a corner to cover their eyes. “No” I replied, nudging the box the toys went into closer, “we will put up toys and go potty.”. “I will hit you!” they screamed, and then tried. “No…” I said, while blocking, “We will put up toys and go potty.” “I will kick you…” they said, rearing back their foot. “No,” I said, readjusting my body out of the path of harm, “We will put up toys and go potty.” “I will scream!” they said, and then proceeded to do so. I waited until they ran out of breath, exuding calm, and then said “Ok, and then we will put up toys and go potty.” “I will turn invisible!” they said, and I said, “Ok, you can put up the toys while you’re invisible, and then we will go potty.” “I am stuck!” they cried, and threw themself onto the floor. “Ok, you can be stuck and put up toys, and then we will go potty”, I said, gently placing a toy in their hand.
This type of thing went on for about an hour. I just kept patiently putting the toy in their hand, and pointing to the toy box, reminding them that it was time to put up toys and then go potty. Eventually, they said “Help me!” I said “Ok, first your turn, then my turn, I will help you.” and then we took turns putting all of the toys back in their box. Then, we went potty.
God’s Patience
When I am reading Ezekiel 18, it reminds me of this incident. God is SO patient with us, and constantly and patiently just says, “Hey, act this way please” and we fight it tooth and nail. God details his expectations explicitly in Ezekiel 18:21-24: “But if the wicked person turns from all his sins that he has committed, and keeps all my statutes and does what is lawful and right, he will live, yes, live, he will not die. None of his transgressions that he has committed will be remembered against him; because of his righteousness that he has done he will live. Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” says the Lord Yahweh, “and not prefer that he would return from his ways and live? But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, will he live? None of his righteous deeds that he has done will be remembered because of his trespass that he has trespassed and because of his sin that he has sinned; because of them he will die.”
God tells us explicitly that the preference is that we turn aside from wickedness and live. Sometimes the things we love, the things we want to do, just aren’t safe. They’ll hurt us. Maybe kill us. God is loving and patient, and can outwait any of us, while gently asserting expectations.
How many of us act like children when we are told in scripture the expectations of God? “I will fight you!” I said. “No,” God said while blocking my arm, “you will put aside sins and listen.” “I will act out!” I said. “No,” God said, while gently holding me, “you will put aside sins and listen.” “I will run away!” I said. “No,” God said, while redirecting me, “you will put aside sins and listen.” “I will do whatever I want!” I screamed. “No,” God whispered gently, while sending His own son to pay my costs, “you will put aside sins and listen.”
Help!
Finally, I did what even a child knows to do when they are bested. “Help me!” I cried, and God said “Ok. First your turn, then my turn, I will help you.” The love and patience of my creator makes me get a little choked up, because my tantrums lasted significantly longer than an hour, and if we’re being honest, I’m still trying to pick up all my toys and put them in the box; but God is helping me. I was the bad kid, too, just imagine how much he’ll help you folks who weren’t.
Thank you God.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- What are your toys, the things you don’t want to put down that are preventing you from moving on to the next required step in your relationship with God?
- Have you stopped fighting God and said “Help me!” yet? When was that moment for you, if so?
- Have you ever considered just how amazingly patient God is with all of us, when you consider it on a global scale as a species? Isn’t it humbling to know just how much He cares?
PRAYER
Father God… Help me! …Thank you. In Jesus name, Amen.
* Notes on Hebrew word for “Soul”
*It should be noted that the Hebrew word for “soul” generally just means “a life”. The literal potential english translations for “soul” include: A soul, living being, life, self, person (and sometimes: desire, passion, appetite, emotion). Later church traditions following Platonic and Neoplatonic influences began to assign more mystical implications to the word. The earliest Christians (first two centuries) generally emphasized a later bodily resurrection and the intermediate state of “sleep” in the meantime. The concept of the soul’s innate immortality and immediate ascent to heaven was influenced by Platonic philosophy and introduced by theologians like Tertullian and Origen in the second and third centuries. The Catholic Church officially condemned the view of “soul sleep” (mortalism) at the Fifth Council of the Lateran in the 16th century (1512–1517), asserting the soul’s immortality and immediate post-mortem existence. Scriptures agree completely with the earliest Christians and contradict later speculations and councils. You’re welcome, history nerds.
** Some details of this story will be altered slightly to ensure anonymity, but aside from some identifying details, this is an absolutely true story.
