Ezekiel 14: 4-5 “Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols, “that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols.” ’

The build up has been intense, but, then again, it always is.  It is interesting how that statement can be applied to anything “big” happening in the public consciousness. When watching a big event or situation unfold, there is no better vantage point from which to view it then social media.  People’s  tweets and posts say a great deal about what they are into. For some it is sports, for others it is movies, or music, and for some, like me once upon a time, it is politics. Humans are passionate by nature. Passion is a gift from God. It drives us, motivates us, and can lead us to greatness. Oprah Winfrey said, “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” This quote leaves out one important truth: our passions must be exercised with caution, lest they govern us and in doing so lead us to ruin.

Christians understand that all things come from God. I Timothy 6:17 tells us that the living God gives us all things richly to enjoy. God has given us our passions for a purpose, so that we may enjoy them. The question becomes when do our passions become “g”ods? When do our passions become idols? The Lord is clear; His desire is that we stay focused on Him.

2I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3You shall have no other gods before me.  Exodus 20

This is God’s first commandment. The ten commandments are God’s top ten. They represent the ten things that we are to strive for; those things that are most important to the Lord. When I was a child, my parents would often give me a to do list and the most important thing to them was number one. I always knew  that if I did number one the rest would fall into place. In the ten commandments God has provided us with the ultimate to do list and it starts with the most important thing keep your eyes on God, make him the center piece, and the rest will fall into place.

In the book of Ezekiel, chapter 14, God is telling the prophet how he will handle the false prophets that bring their idols to Him.  I like the way the New Living translation puts it, “4 …This is what the sovereign Lord says: The people of Israel have set up idols in their hearts and fallen into sin, and then they go to the prophet asking for a message. So I, the Lord, will give them the answer their idolatry deserves.”  I liken this to that moment as a kid when your father made good on his threat and actually turned the car around. The MacArthur Bible Commentary uses one word to explain this verse – Judgment.

The Lord judges us in our wrong doing, just as a father should. God has a purpose for punishing His people. he judges us because He loves us. The judgments are used to grow us up and show us the right way, God’s way. Ezekiel 14:5: ” I will do this to capture the hearts of all my people who have turned from me to worship their detestable idols.” (NLT) 

So, when we view the content of our lives we should ask ourselves: Is what we are doing, what we are involved in, what we are passionate about bringing glory to God? If the answer is no then we need to revisit our priorities. Have you checked yourself lately? What is most important to you? Is it lasting? What do you hold in the highest regard? What do you worship? When the Lord comes first, everything else falls in line. So, check yourselves today. What is the state of your union with the Lord?

Grace and Peace,

LD

*If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, email me at savedIIserve@gmail.com and let me know! I will be happy to lead you through what the bible says about salvation and accepting Jesus Christ as your savior.*