We love going along and getting along with others, don’t we?  Quarreling with someone over the details of how to do something becomes exhausting so we avoid getting caught up in the conversation. But when wrong is brushed up and glossed over to look like right, we must stand up and say what is right, not for the fight, but because we care about the outcome of the lives of those around us.  This is the attitude that we must take when standing firm for what God says is right and good for our best life.  Paul reminds us to “Speak the Truth in love”.  Love guides the conversation because we are not concerned with winning the argument but with winning a soul for Christ.

When right looks good and seems right enough what do we do?  Do we go along just to keep the peace?  Is there a better way, a better plan?  I’m glad you asked.  (Pretty sure I heard you ask.)  In this world, evil has an uncanny knack at making lifestyles and ways of thinking look good, fun and oh so right in all walks of life, in all workplaces and in all churches where people gather to work, play, rest, eat, and relate.  But we must be careful and not be fooled.  If what seems right doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.  If it is confusing, goes against what God’s Word says, then evil has a hold already. 

What do we do?  How do we know?  Ask God.  We are told to ask for wisdom, insight and understanding and God will give these precious gifts of discernment of right and wrong to us.  We ask God to point out what is really true, right and good according to His will and plan and His Holy Spirit living in us will guide and lead us.  This promise of guidance is forever.  We listen after the ask!  God will never let us down in our quest for His wisdom. 

Evil has become so obscene and perverted in Ezekiel’s day that God has “picked him up” and taken him above the world to “see” a vision of what is really going on in the minds of evil leaders, men who “draw up blueprints for sin” and lead others to sin.  God not only shows Ezekiel what is right but what to say against what is evil. 

God also delivers an encouraging promise to Ezekiel at the end of this “seeing” that shows us that God is always and forever in control over evil.  God wins.  Always. The promise is this:  I’ll give you a new heart. I’ll put a new spirit in you.  When we “clean house” of all that is not God, God returns to guide and lead us into all that is good for us.  The depth of love we have for God is measured in our obedience to Him.  We are His people; He is our One and Only God.  This is the most important relationship we will ever have and we must protect it at all costs.  It’s a matter of life or death!

Ezekiel 11, The Message

A New Heart and a New Spirit

11 Then the Spirit picked me up and took me to the gate of the Temple that faces east. There were twenty-five men standing at the gate. I recognized the leaders, Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah.

^2-3 God said, “Son of man, these are the men who draw up blueprints for sin, who think up new programs for evil in this city. They say, ‘We can make anything happen here. We’re the best. We’re the choice pieces of meat in the soup pot.’

⁴ “Oppose them, son of man. Preach against them.”

^5-6 Then the Spirit of God came upon me and told me what to say: “This is what God says: ‘That’s a fine public speech, Israel, but I know what you are thinking. You’ve murdered a lot of people in this city. The streets are piled high with corpses.’

^7-12 “Therefore this is what God, the Master, says: ‘The corpses that you’ve piled in the streets are the meat and this city is the soup pot, and you’re not even in the pot! I’m throwing you out! You fear war, but war is what you’re going to get. I’m bringing war against you. I’m throwing you out of this city, giving you over to foreigners, and punishing you good. You’ll be killed in battle. I’ll carry out judgment on you at the borders of Israel. Then you’ll realize that I am God. This city will not be your soup pot and you won’t be the choice pieces of meat in it either. Hardly. I will carry out judgment on you at the borders of Israel and you’ll realize that I am God, for you haven’t followed my statutes and ordinances. Instead of following my ways, you’ve sunk to the level of the laws of the nations around you.’”

¹³ Even while I was preaching, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. I fell down, face to the ground, and prayed loudly, “O Master, God! Will you completely wipe out what’s left of Israel?”

^14-15 The answer from God came back: “Son of man, your brothers—I mean the whole people of Israel who are in exile with you—are the people of whom the citizens of Jerusalem are saying, ‘They’re in the far country, far from God. This land has been given to us to own.’

^16-20 “Well, tell them this, ‘This is your Message from God, the Master. True, I sent you to the far country and scattered you through other lands. All the same, I’ve provided you a temporary sanctuary in the countries where you’ve gone. I will gather you back from those countries and lands where you’ve been scattered and give you back the land of Israel. You’ll come back and clean house, throw out all the rotten images and obscene idols. I’ll give you a new heart. I’ll put a new spirit in you. I’ll cut out your stone heart and replace it with a red-blooded, firm-muscled heart. Then you’ll obey my statutes and be careful to obey my commands. You’ll be my people! I’ll be your God!

²¹ “‘But not those who are self-willed and addicted to their rotten images and obscene idols! I’ll see that they’re paid in full for what they’ve done.’ Decree of God, the Master.”

^22-23 Then the cherubim spread their wings, with the wheels beside them and the Glory of the God of Israel hovering over them. The Glory of God ascended from within the city and rested on the mountain to the east of the city.

* * *

^24-25 Then, still in the vision given me by the Spirit of God, the Spirit took me and carried me back to the exiles in Babylon. And then the vision left me. I told the exiles everything that God had shown me.

Lord,

Give us your spirit of discernment for the world we live in right now.  Show us and teach us your ways, your will along with your plan for our good and best life.  I love you with all my heart, mind, and soul.  I love hearing from you!  Renew my mind, cleanse my heart and fill my soul with all of you in all of me.

In Jesus Name, Amen