November 6

In Ezekiel 34–36, God promises to restore His people after years of rebellion and exile. He condemns the false shepherds who neglected and exploited His flock, but then declares that He Himself will be their Shepherd. He will search for His sheep, rescue them, feed them, and give them rest. God also promises to gather His people from every place they have been scattered and to give them a new heart and a new spirit. He will replace their hearts of stone with hearts of flesh—soft, responsive, and alive with His Spirit. This is the promise of true renewal: not just an outward restoration, but an inner transformation.

Psalm 86 captures the same heart of dependence and devotion. David cries out, Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. He acknowledges his need for God’s mercy and strength. The psalm reminds us that revival begins not in circumstances, but in the heart that seeks God above all else.

In John 12, Jesus enters Jerusalem as the true Shepherd-King. The crowds cheer, yet He knows that His road leads to the cross. He explains that unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. His death would become the doorway to new life for all who believe. What Ezekiel foresaw—a new heart and new spirit—is made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Together, these passages proclaim that God not only restores what is broken but transforms what is dead. He replaces hardness with humility, selfishness with surrender, and despair with living hope. When we let Him be our Shepherd, He leads us into abundant life—renewed from the inside out.

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