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Keep that Heart Pumped for God!
'I will give them an undivided heart...' Ezekiel 11:19
The exiled Judeans of Babylon had chosen to ignore God and turn away from Him by following the practices of other nations. By way of example, filling streets with a sea of dead bodies had become a regular pastime!
Ezekiel was like a lifeguard being used as God's megaphone to speak to these people, who God had forced out of Israel through their broken faith. But through that time of judgement, God also gives words of hope of His salvation to Ezekiel: '...I will give you back the land of Israel again. They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them.' (vv. 17-18)
Thank goodness for Jesus! Jesus took all our punishment at the cross. But just like God's people of Ezekiel's day looking to follow other nations, it's easy for our hearts to get divided by looking at what our mates are doing and what society claims to be normal.
Have a fresh look at your heart for God. Would you say it's all pumped to follow Him, or is it divided up like a school dinner tray - and you're giving God the small section where the cold custard normally goes?
The Bible says, 'Let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us' (Hebrews 12:1 NIV).
written by Bob Gass
'I will give them an undivided heart...' Ezekiel 11:19
The exiled Judeans of Babylon had chosen to ignore God and turn away from Him by following the practices of other nations. By way of example, filling streets with a sea of dead bodies had become a regular pastime!
Ezekiel was like a lifeguard being used as God's megaphone to speak to these people, who God had forced out of Israel through their broken faith. But through that time of judgement, God also gives words of hope of His salvation to Ezekiel: '...I will give you back the land of Israel again. They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them.' (vv. 17-18)
Thank goodness for Jesus! Jesus took all our punishment at the cross. But just like God's people of Ezekiel's day looking to follow other nations, it's easy for our hearts to get divided by looking at what our mates are doing and what society claims to be normal.
Have a fresh look at your heart for God. Would you say it's all pumped to follow Him, or is it divided up like a school dinner tray - and you're giving God the small section where the cold custard normally goes?
The Bible says, 'Let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us' (Hebrews 12:1 NIV).
written by Bob Gass
