Ezekiel 14:3 (NIV®)
“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?”
We all struggle with areas of obedience and sin. Once The Lord shows us the area we need to work on, we hopefully have a sense of repentance and make a decision to turn from what we’ve been shown.
How many times do we “repent” of something but never really seem to get a handle on it? We somehow find ourselves back in the same hole we’ve dug with our own personally engraved shovel. So we’re back in the same place, crying out for help, hoping the Lord will have mercy.
In those instances, He is gracious. He knows our heart. He knows we intended to do right but there we went again. He forgives the “490” times we ask (Matthew 18:21-22) but we have to be careful. We cannot expect to do what we want, act repentant and ask the Lord to forgive, while fully anticipating that we will fail again in that area. What does our heart tell us when we come out of the confession booth? It takes something more than a hopeful “I want to do better”. It takes a determined “I will do better”. We must make the choice to obey no matter the cost (Hebrews 12:4). Otherwise, we are in danger of being like the leaders in Ezekiel’s day who did what they wanted, lived as they liked and presumed that they could still approach The Lord.
It is a fearful thought to me that the Lord might be angry at my lack of effort toward sin. We are so used to moving on, used to presuming that there’s always forgiveness. But is our lack of effort toward turning from sin worth what we miss? Is it worth the reward we forfeit? Is it worth having Him displeased with us? Most importantly, is it worth having our relationship with God hindered; our ability to daily walk in His presence? I think not.
When I read the words of God Himself in Ezekiel, it awakens me to the reality of how our behaviors, habits and lifestyles impact our ability to approach Him. It is an epiphany – clarity of what a big deal sin really is. Does He listen when we come before Him? Are we living so He will hear us? Do our prayers bounce off the ceiling or make their way through? When we come, we should be careful to come without the stain of willful sin, especially repeated willful sin. For God is God and He is no one’s fool.
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