Finding Healing and Strength in the House of the Lord
Ezekiel 47 | Come Follow Me for Teens
Have you ever seen pictures of a place that's experiencing a terrible drought?
The ground is dry and cracked.
Plants that once grew there have withered.
Trees have lost their leaves.
Fields that were once green have become brown and lifeless.
Sometimes the pictures are almost hard to believe.
A place that once supported so much life can begin to look completely different when the water disappears.
But then imagine what happens when water finally returns.
The ground begins absorbing it.
Small plants start appearing.
Grass begins growing.
Trees that have struggled through the drought begin to recover.
And gradually, the landscape starts looking alive again.
There's something remarkable about the difference water can make.
And I want you to remember that picture as we explore one of the most beautiful visions in the entire book of Ezekiel.
Because the Lord shows His prophet a river that accomplishes something extraordinary.
It brings life wherever it flows.
A River Flowing from the Temple
In Ezekiel 47, the prophet is shown a vision of the house of the Lord.
And he notices something interesting.
Water is beginning to flow from beneath the threshold of the temple.
At first, it appears to be a relatively small stream.
But as Ezekiel follows the water away from the temple, something remarkable happens.
The river begins getting deeper.
After traveling a certain distance, Ezekiel is led through the water.
It reaches his ankles.
He travels farther.
Now the water reaches his knees.
Farther still.
The water rises to his waist.
And eventually, the river becomes so deep that he can no longer walk across it.
In Ezekiel 47:5, he describes it as:
"A river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in."
Think about that picture.
What began as water flowing from the house of the Lord has become an enormous river.
And the farther Ezekiel follows it, the deeper it grows.
But there's something even more extraordinary about this river.
It's where the water goes.
Ezekiel watches it flow toward a place where very little can survive.
The Dead Sea.
You may know something about the Dead Sea.
Its water is so salty that fish and most other aquatic life cannot live in it.
It's a place where the conditions make ordinary life nearly impossible.
Yet in Ezekiel's vision, something remarkable happens when the river from the temple reaches those waters.
They are healed.
Living creatures begin to flourish.
Fish become abundant.
Trees grow along the banks, producing fruit and leaves for healing.
And then the Lord gives Ezekiel this beautiful declaration:
"Every thing shall live whither the river cometh."
—Ezekiel 47:9
I love that promise.
Every thing shall live wherever the river comes.
Now consider what the Lord might be teaching us through this extraordinary vision.
The water begins at His house.
It flows outward.
It grows deeper.
And it brings healing and life to places that desperately need it.
What a beautiful picture of the blessings Heavenly Father wants to pour into our lives through Jesus Christ and His holy temple.
Why Does God Want Us to Come to His House?
I've thought a lot about why Heavenly Father has given us temples.
And one of my favorite answers is found in the Old Testament.
When the children of Israel were traveling through the wilderness, the Lord instructed Moses to build a tabernacle.
A sacred place where His people could worship Him.
In Exodus 25:8, the Lord explained why:
"Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them."
Think about that for a moment.
The Lord wanted a house among His people.
A sacred place where they could come to Him.
A place where He would reveal Himself and establish His covenant relationship with them.
Then in Exodus 29:45–46, the Lord made another beautiful promise.
He said He would dwell among the children of Israel and be their God.
And then He declared:
"And they shall know that I am the Lord their God."
There it is again!
The same message that appears throughout Ezekiel.
God wants His children to know Him.
And one of the ways He has always helped His people develop that relationship is through His holy house.
That has become increasingly meaningful to me.
Because I think there's something beautiful about the idea of Heavenly Father wanting His children to have a place where they can come home to Him.
A Place to Come Home
Have you ever had one of those days when you just wanted to go home?
Maybe school was exhausting.
You had a difficult conversation with someone.
Things weren't going the way you'd hoped.
You were feeling overwhelmed.
Or perhaps nothing particularly terrible had happened, but you were simply worn out.
And you wanted to be somewhere familiar.
Somewhere you could relax.
Somewhere you knew you were loved.
One of the things I've appreciated as a father is watching how meaningful a sense of home can be to my daughters.
I remember an experience when one of my daughters came into my room late at night, seeking the comfort and security of being near her dad.
I've thought about that experience as I've considered our relationship with Heavenly Father.
As children grow older, they become more independent.
They begin making their own decisions.
They go to school, spend time with friends, and eventually begin building lives away from home.
But there's still something wonderful about knowing that home is there.
That there's a place where you belong.
Where you're loved.
Where you can find encouragement when things become difficult.
And I've wondered whether Heavenly Father has provided something similar for His children during mortality.
Think about it.
We've left our heavenly home.
We're living in a world filled with opportunities to learn, grow, make decisions, experience joy, and develop faith.
But mortality can also be difficult.
Sometimes we become discouraged.
Sometimes we make mistakes.
Sometimes we get hurt.
And sometimes we simply need to remember who we are and who our Father is.
So Heavenly Father has provided sacred places here on earth where we can come closer to Him.
His house.
The temple.
A place where we can step away from the distractions of the world, remember His promises, and feel closer to our heavenly home.
I love the thought that even while we're away from His presence in mortality, Heavenly Father has provided a house where His children can come to Him.
And I love the name we give it.
The house of the Lord.
The River Gets Deeper
Now return to Ezekiel's vision.
Remember what happened as Ezekiel followed the river.
At first, the water reached his ankles.
Then his knees.
Then his waist.
And eventually, the water was so deep that he couldn't walk across it.
I've wondered what that might teach us about developing a relationship with Heavenly Father.
Think about your own experience with the temple.
Perhaps your earliest memories involve driving past a temple with your family.
Or looking at a picture of one in your home.
Maybe you remember attending a temple open house.
Or the first time you received a temple recommend and participated in baptisms for the dead.
Those experiences may have helped you begin developing an appreciation for the house of the Lord.
But think about how that understanding can grow.
As you continue learning about the gospel, your appreciation for the temple can deepen.
As you make sacred covenants, you can come to understand more about your relationship with Jesus Christ.
As you return to worship, pray, ponder, and seek the Holy Ghost, you may begin recognizing blessings you hadn't fully appreciated before.
Your understanding can grow.
Your faith can deepen.
And your relationship with Heavenly Father can become more meaningful.
I love the thought that the blessings represented by Ezekiel's river can deepen throughout our lives.
Heavenly Father has so much He wants us to learn.
So much He wants us to experience.
And so many ways He wants to help us become more like His Son.
The Blessings Don't Stay Inside the Temple
But there's another part of Ezekiel's vision that I think is especially important.
Where did the water go?
It didn't remain inside the temple.
It flowed outward.
And everywhere it went, it brought life.
Think about that.
The water began at the house of the Lord, but its influence reached far beyond the temple walls.
And I've always loved connecting that image to the blessings of temple worship.
When the Kirtland Temple was dedicated, the Prophet Joseph Smith offered a remarkable prayer recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 109.
Among the blessings described in that prayer are receiving wisdom, feeling the Lord's power, and being strengthened through sacred worship.
Then in Doctrine and Covenants 109:22, Joseph prayed that the Lord's servants might go forth from His house:
"Armed with thy power."
Think about those words.
Go forth.
The people weren't simply asking for blessings they could experience while they were inside the temple.
They were seeking power that could accompany them when they left.
Power to face the challenges ahead.
Power to serve God.
Power to remain faithful to their covenants.
Power to accomplish the work He had given them.
And there's a phrase I've often used when teaching about the temple that I want you to remember.
We go into the temple walls, but the walls of the temple go out with us.
Think about what that means.
The peace you experience in the temple can influence the way you face a difficult week.
The promises you remember there can strengthen you when you're tempted.
The eternal perspective you gain can help you make important decisions.
The love you feel for your Heavenly Father can influence the way you treat your family and friends.
And your covenants with Him can give direction to your life long after you've left the temple grounds.
The blessings are intended to flow outward.
Just like Ezekiel's river.
What Happens When Life Leaves Us Feeling Drained?
Now I want you to think about something personal.
Have you ever gone through a season when you just felt spiritually exhausted?
Maybe there were so many things happening in your life that you struggled to make time for prayer or scripture study.
Perhaps you were facing temptation.
Or feeling discouraged about something that hadn't worked out the way you'd hoped.
Maybe your confidence was struggling.
You were worried about the future.
Or you simply didn't feel as close to Heavenly Father as you wanted to.
There are times when mortality can leave us feeling spiritually worn down.
I remember playing the video game Halo years ago, and one of the interesting features of the game was the protective shield surrounding your character.
As you experienced attacks, your shield became weaker.
And if you continued standing out in the open, eventually it would be depleted.
So you learned to find shelter.
You'd move behind a wall or another protective object, giving your shields time to regenerate before heading back into the fight.
I've thought about that illustration in connection with our spiritual lives.
There are times when the pressures of mortality seem to wear us down.
We face disappointment, temptation, stress, uncertainty, and difficult experiences.
And sometimes we need a place where we can renew our strength.
Heavenly Father knows that.
And He has given us His house.
A sacred place where we can come closer to Him and seek the strengthening power of Jesus Christ.
Of course, temple worship involves much more than finding a peaceful place to rest.
The temple is where we learn sacred truths, participate in ordinances, make and keep covenants, and prepare to return to our Heavenly Father's presence.
But those covenants connect us to something extraordinary.
The power of Jesus Christ.
And that power can strengthen us in the very places where we feel inadequate, discouraged, or spiritually weak.
The Water That Heals
There's one more thing about Ezekiel's river that I don't want you to miss.
The water didn't simply make the landscape greener.
It healed waters where life had been unable to flourish.
That image becomes especially meaningful when we think about the Savior's power to heal our hearts.
You may have experiences in your life that leave wounds other people cannot see.
Something someone said.
A friendship that ended.
A mistake you deeply regret.
A difficult experience in your family.
A disappointment that changed the way you looked at the future.
Or something that has left you wondering whether you'll ever feel completely okay again.
I love that the Lord's vision includes water flowing toward places that need healing.
Because that's the kind of Savior Jesus Christ is.
He knows where we're hurting.
He understands the experiences we're facing.
And through His Atonement, He offers the power to forgive, strengthen, comfort, and heal.
Sometimes that healing helps us find peace in a situation that hasn't changed yet.
Sometimes it gives us the strength to forgive.
Sometimes it helps us overcome a weakness or return to Him through repentance.
And sometimes it helps us rediscover hope.
Consider the beautiful promise of Ezekiel 47:12.
Along the river grow trees that produce fruit, and their leaves are used for healing.
What a remarkable image.
The river reaches places where life has struggled.
And those places become sources of life and nourishment themselves.
Now imagine what can happen as we allow the Savior's influence into our lives.
As He helps us find greater peace, we may become better able to bring peace to someone else.
As He teaches us forgiveness, we may become more willing to forgive.
As He strengthens our faith, we may become more capable of helping someone who's struggling.
The blessings we receive through Jesus Christ can begin blessing others through us.
The river brings life to us, and that life can flow through us to bless the people around us.
Scripture
Ezekiel 47:1–5 — Water flows from the temple and grows deeper as Ezekiel follows it.
Ezekiel 47:9 — "Every thing shall live whither the river cometh."
Ezekiel 47:12 — Trees grow along the river, bearing fruit and leaves for healing.
Exodus 25:8 — "Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them."
Exodus 29:46 — "And they shall know that I am the Lord their God."
Doctrine and Covenants 109:22 — The Lord's servants go forth from His house armed with His power.
Ezekiel 37:27–28 — The Lord promises to dwell among His people and sanctify them.
Reflection
What impresses you most about Ezekiel's vision of the water flowing from the temple?
What might the increasing depth of the river teach you about developing a relationship with Heavenly Father?
Why do you think God wanted a sanctuary where He could dwell among His children?
What does it mean to you that the temple is called the house of the Lord?
How can temple worship strengthen us for challenges we face outside the temple?
Why is it significant that the river flowed outward and brought life wherever it went?
Is there an area of your life where you especially need the Savior's peace, strength, or healing?
How could the blessings you receive through Jesus Christ help you become a blessing to someone else?
Today's Challenge
Bring the blessings of the Lord's house into your life this week.
Ezekiel's river began at the temple and flowed outward.
This week, try doing something that helps you experience and share the influence of the Savior.
1. Turn toward His house.
If you have the opportunity, prepare to attend the temple.
You might participate in baptisms for the dead or prepare for another appropriate temple ordinance.
If you're unable to attend this week, spend a few minutes studying Ezekiel 47 or Doctrine and Covenants 109.
As you study, ask:
What blessings does Heavenly Father want me to receive through His house?
2. Identify a blessing you need.
Think about something you're experiencing right now.
Maybe you need peace.
Strength to resist temptation.
Greater understanding.
Confidence about a difficult decision.
Help forgiving someone.
Or renewed hope.
Pray specifically for the Savior's help.
If you attend the temple, bring that desire with you.
3. Let the blessings flow outward.
Choose one way to bring more of the Savior's influence into your home, school, or relationships.
Maybe you could be more patient.
Encourage someone who's struggling.
Apologize.
Forgive.
Help a family member without being asked.
Or share something meaningful you learned.
At the end of the week, think about this question:
How did turning toward the Savior influence the way I treated the people around me?
Remember Ezekiel's river.
The water didn't remain inside the temple.
It flowed outward.
Christ-Centered Thought
There's another story involving water in the Old Testament that I think connects beautifully with Ezekiel's vision.
It's found in Exodus 15.
The children of Israel have recently experienced one of the greatest miracles in their history.
The Lord delivered them from Egypt.
He parted the Red Sea.
And they crossed safely to the other side.
Imagine how extraordinary that experience must have been.
They had witnessed the Lord's power.
They knew He had delivered them.
But then something difficult happened.
After traveling through the wilderness for three days, they hadn't found water.
And when they finally reached a place where water was available, they discovered it was too bitter to drink.
The place was called Marah.
Think about how frustrating that must have been.
After everything they'd just experienced, they were thirsty, tired, and facing another problem.
Moses cried to the Lord for help.
And the Lord showed him what to do.
Moses followed His instruction, and the bitter waters were made sweet (Exodus 15:22–25).
Then the Lord revealed something beautiful about Himself.
He declared:
"I am the Lord that healeth thee."
—Exodus 15:26
I love that.
The Lord who had delivered His people from bondage was also the Lord who could heal.
And I think that revelation connects beautifully with Ezekiel's river.
In Exodus, the Lord makes bitter water sweet.
In Ezekiel, water from His house brings healing and life to a barren place.
Both stories point us toward something extraordinary about Jesus Christ.
He has the power to heal what is bitter, wounded, or broken in our lives.
Maybe there's something in your life that hasn't turned out the way you hoped.
Perhaps someone hurt you.
Maybe you're struggling to forgive.
Perhaps you made a mistake and are finding it difficult to move forward.
Or maybe you're facing a challenge that's leaving you emotionally and spiritually exhausted.
Whatever the experience, remember who Jesus Christ is.
He is the One who suffered for our sins, pains, sicknesses, and infirmities (Alma 7:11–13).
He understands the sorrow we experience in mortality.
He knows how to strengthen us.
And through His Atonement and Resurrection, He has made it possible for every wound and every consequence of the Fall to be overcome in His eternal plan.
That is why the temple means so much.
It's the house of the Lord.
A place where we come to worship Jesus Christ, make covenants with Him, and remember the promises He has made possible.
And it's a place that can remind us of something we desperately need to remember when life becomes difficult.
We have a Heavenly Father who loves us.
We have a Savior who lives.
And our future extends far beyond the difficulties we're experiencing right now.
One day, because of Jesus Christ, death itself will be overcome.
Families can be united eternally through sacred covenants.
And we can return to the presence of our Heavenly Father.
Think about that the next time you see a temple.
Remember the river flowing from the house of the Lord.
Remember the barren land coming back to life.
Remember the waters of Marah becoming sweet.
And remember the Savior who makes healing and eternal life possible.
Then consider this remarkable promise again:
"Every thing shall live whither the river cometh."
—Ezekiel 47:9
Heavenly Father wants that life-giving influence in your life.
He wants you to come closer to Him.
He wants you to experience the blessings of His Son.
And He has provided His holy house to help you prepare for the day when you can return home to His presence.
So turn toward the temple.
Come to know the Lord whose house it is.
Make and keep sacred covenants.
And let the influence of Jesus Christ flow into your everyday life.
Because wherever His healing and sanctifying power reaches, remarkable things can happen.
Hope can return.
Faith can deepen.
Hearts can change.
And spiritual life can flourish.
Heavenly Father has provided His house because He wants His children to come home.
And through Jesus Christ, we can.
For more weekly devotionals and complete Come Follow Me resources designed specifically for teens, visit:
