For Kids · 3 min with a grown-up
Ezekiel was God's messenger. Today God gives him a message for a very rich, very proud king.
Today's Story
There was a city by the sea called Tyre. It had busy ships and shiny gold and piles of treasure. And it had a king who thought he was the smartest, richest, most important person anywhere.
The king got so puffed up that he started to think a silly thought. He told himself, “I am so wise and so rich. I'm not just a man. I'm like a god!”
So God gave Ezekiel a message for him. “You are a man,” God said. “You are not a god. Yes, you are clever. Yes, you have gold. But who made you able to think? Who filled the sea with the ships that brought you all that treasure? I did.”
God reminded the proud king of something true: everything good he had was a gift. He didn't make himself. He didn't make the world. There is only One who is God — and it was not the king of Tyre.
God said the proud city would not last forever the way the king thought it would. Only God lasts forever. Only God is in charge of everything, always.
It was a strong message. But underneath it was a kind one too: the safest place to be is not on a high throne being proud. It's down low, knowing the real God and thanking Him.
A Big Word
Memory Verse
Talk About It
- Think of one thing you are really good at. Who gave you the ability to do it — and how could you say thank You to God for it today?
- The king forgot that his treasure was a gift. What is something good in your life that is easy to forget to say thank You for?
- What is the difference between being happy you can do something and being proud and bragging about it?