Ezekiel 15:6 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem.”
The Israelites seem to have taken their status as God’s chosen for granted. They seem to think that there is nothing they can do to lose the favored status. But they have filled their land and their hearts with idols. They have utterly pushed God out while telling themselves and each other it’s ok because they are God’s chosen. At issue is their behavior and the state of their hearts.
Ezekiel 15:7a “I will set my face against them. Although they have come out of the fire, the fire will yet consume them….”
God loves us because we are His. He created us. But He created us to bring His light to the world and to have a relationship with Him. He cares about the state of our hearts. He knows when we place idols before Him. He knows that for us to live rich, full, eternally meaningful lives, our focus must remain on Him. And He will do all that He can to try to help us realize the error of our ways and return to Him. But He gives us the power to choose.
Ezekiel 15:7b “…And when I set my face against them, you will know that I am the Lord.”
Lord, Thank You for Your fierce love and Your boundless compassion. Thank You for loving us so much that You pursue us boundlessly. Thank You for allowing us to choose You. Help me, always, to put You first. Amen.
Ezekiel 15:8 “I will make the land desolate because they have been unfaithful, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
Have a blessed day.
Yesterday I heard messages from several devotions that referred to Paul’s journey and the thorn in the flesh that he was given. Interestingly, this devotion carries the same thread. God’s love for us is fierce. He goes to great lengths to keep us close and remind His children that He alone can satisfy our thirst and equip us for the work that He has called us to do. Our successes and strengths come from Only from HIM. Shall we chose HIM?