Ezekiel 18:30a “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord….”
Ezekiel 18:31 brought to mind strongly Psalm 51:10: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Interestingly, the entire passage makes me think of my kitchen rug, the one right by the outside door.
Ezekiel 18:30b “…Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall.”
If I want that rug to stay in place so that it can catch dirt from incoming shoes, I have to keep an eye on it. It gets wadded up behind the door, so I have to straighten it. It really does collect dirt, so I have to shake it out and occasionally vacuum it. I have to tend it. My heart is startlingly similar. I have to tend it, realign it when it gets knocked out of place, shake out the dirt and clean it with regularity.
Ezekiel 18:31 “Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel?”
Lord, Thank You for laying these verses on my heart, for reminding me that my heart needs daily tending to be sure it is aligned with You, for the reminder that my spirit needs renewal and You are the only source. Draw me closer. Amen.
Ezekiel 18:32 “For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!”
Have a blessed day.