The Whole Story

Once I saw their responses, I could see what had really happened.

Ezekiel 25:1-17

Reference: Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Sovereign Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you said “Aha!” over my sanctuary when it was desecrated and over the land of Israel when it was laid waste and over the people of Judah when they went into exile, (Ezekiel 25:3 NIV)

Explore: Usually, as a parent, I can pick up on who is the perpetrator in an incident that has ended badly with my children. It’s not always the child that is whinging or crying who is the victim.

But there are times when I get it wrong.

The other day I went into the play room because our youngest was crying. I could see that his older brother hadn’t been playing nicely, so I set an appropriate consequence.

As soon as the punishment was dished out, my younger boy started smirking and pulling faces at his older brother. It was then that I realised that our youngest was not in fact innocent in the whole incident.

From first observations I could not tell who was to blame, but once I saw their responses, I could see what had really happened.

Application: Often our words and actions reflect what is in our hearts. When God heard the Ammonites response to the desecration of the sanctuary, He could see what was really in their hearts.

It’s the same for us. People’s words and reactions show what they really feel. And sometimes it’s not pretty.
That’s why it’s so important to strive for pure hearts that reflect God’s love and grace. Because if that is what is truly in our hearts, then that is what will flow out of our lives.

Prayer: Lord, give us pure hearts. So that every part of us strives to serve you. Amen.

What negative feelings have you harboured in your heart?

actions, Ezekiel, hearts, reaction, response, words