Out The Other Gate

'When the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed feasts, whoever enters by the north gate to worship is to go out the south gate; and whoever enters by the south gate is to go out the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which he entered, but each is to go out the opposite gate.

Ezekiel 46:9

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says” (46:1). God is zealous and jealous for the worship of His people. When the Israelites came to the sanctuary on the days of worship, they were to exit using, not the closest door, but the one furthest away. Actually, there are only two gates mentioned, but they are on opposite ends of the temple area: North and South. What’s going on here? When the people came for worship, they were to leave in a different place than when they came. Worship was not to be a passive event, but something that changed them. This instruction to physically move out through a different door emphasized the spiritual reality. They were moving forward. They were different after worshipping the Lord. They were not going back to the way they had been. They were exiting through a different gate.

God has me on this journey of faith. I am in movement. I am growing and changing and (hopefully) becoming more like Jesus. I won’t go back to the way I was. After spending time with Jesus, I am different.

Lord, I want to honor You by moving forward. I will exit by the opposite gate after time in worship to emphasize this truth in my heart and mind. I am different! I am different because of You. Thank You for allowing the past to be the past. Thank You for the ability to forget the former things… and thank You for doing a new thing in my life.