Blessings, the Land, and My Purpose for Today  

Ezekiel 36

20-When they came to the nations, wherever they went, they profaned My holy name--when they said of them, 'These are the people of the LORD, and yet they have gone out of His land.'

Years ago, Christian folk singer Barry McGuire mentioned that the promised land symbolized the promises of God. For Christians having the promises fulfilled in our lives is a fulfillment of the promised land, with the promised land ultimately being heaven. This notion is fortified by the assertion in Hebrews (11:8-10) that Abraham's journey to the promised land was really a search for heaven all along. It could be inferred that a Christian living in some sort of defeat, with none of the promises of God in force in their lives (I've yet to consider what that must look life) is like unto an Israeli who claims that name of the Lord but has been forced out of the land. It makes the Lord look bad. But compare with verse 22

²¹  But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went. 

²²  "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went.

Note: The blessings God gives to Israel (but not to the generation that saw judgment cf. 33:23-29) He does not give for their sakes, but for the sake of His Holy Name. That does not mean that the Lord is indifferent or does not love us, but that the Christian life has never been about us as much as it is about the Lord. Giving honor to the Lord is more important than our wants, or even needs. Joe Stowall, former president of Moody Bible Institute, once said that acts of righteousness is more important than self fulfillment. I, very naturally, turn my mind to my needs and wants, my goals, dreams, hurts and hopes when I wake up every day. The Lord is not indifferent to all of that, but I am to consider His honor first, perhaps that is a part of what Jesus meant when He said, “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33) 

When I stop thinking about me or my disappointments and consciously consider just the notion that my life is meant to give honor to the Lord, my disposition changes even if I do not come up with a concrete response to that thought. It's like I start looking at the day through a different set of lenses. The sense of disappointment wanes. I have something to consider that is more important than whether I am disappointed about something or not (I'm often disappointed. It seems I have high expectations of everything). My life, this day, is about the honor of the Lord's holy name and that is more important than my happiness and sense of self-fulfillment, and that takes a lot of pressure off of me as I go through the day.