Daily Devotion

Friday, February 20, 2026  

Today's Scripture
Ezekiel 18:30

Therefore, I will judge you, O house of Israel, all of you according to your ways, says the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin.

This experiment in divine reading—I’m too steeped in being Presbyterian to use the Latin—is a new one for me. Pastor Matt Helms’ instructions said it’s meant to concentrate more on the heart than the head, but I find it hard to separate the two methods.

Yet the first thing that jumped out at me about this verse was Ezekiel telling Israel that God was saying, “I will judge you.” I won’t say that’s not worrisome—that would just add another transgression. But I quickly remembered my favorite reply, my heart’s response, to God as my judge. Here it is.

In A Man Called Peter, Catherine’s 1951 biography of her husband, pastor and U.S. Senate chaplain, the Rev. Peter Marshall, she describes how he looked at being judged (p. 114-115):

“I think I may have to go through the agony of hearing all my sins recited in the presence of God.

“But I believe it will be like this—Jesus will come over and lay his hand across my shoulders and say to God, ‘Yes, all these things are true, but I’m here to cover up for Peter. He is sorry for all his sins, and by a transaction made between us, I am now solely responsible for them.’”

“Suddenly Peter smiled. ‘And, sister, if I’m wrong about that, I’m sunk.’”

So I still need to repent; in Marshall’s words, “hearing all my sins recited” might as well be as short a list as humanly possible. I don't want to get any closer to ruin than I am already.

But I am not sunk. I don’t think you are, either.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I’m sorry. I know that your judgment is deserved, and I shall face it in your court. But I know that my defender, your Son, will be there. Amen. 

Written by Margaret Laing, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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