Repent

“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin.”
~ Ezekiel 18:30

Direction is important. Whether it is planning a trip, setting goals, or living a life with Jesus, we need to know where we are going and what our destination is. Spiritual growth is not about wandering aimlessly through life “doing good” to others and being nice. We were created in the image of God. We have all sinned and we fall short of the glory of God. We are broken. Spiritual growth is the process that God uses to restore us to fellowship with Him so that His image can shine in our lives. We were made to look like Jesus and impact the world with a specific purpose. When we understand that we have a specific direction to live, a destination for spiritual growth, we can live with an awareness of how we are being transformed. We need that awareness because our struggle with sin leads us in directions that God does not intend for us to go. That is why repentance is such an important part of walking with Jesus. Repentance is a course correction. It is the way that God has provided for us to get our focus straight when we wander, or deliberately walk, away from Him. Repentance calls us to check our focus, turn away from the world, and set our eyes on Jesus. In repentance, God offers forgiveness, hope, and redemption.

As we come to the Book of Ezekiel, repentance takes center stage. God’s people have given themselves over to idolatry and lost their direction. Their eyes and hearts have been focused on the world. Now God has given them over to the consequences of their decisions. The people of God are in Babylon, in captivity. They are living in a foreign land with no access to the temple. God wants them to get their focus right, so he sends Ezekiel to the captives in Babylon. The call is for a new focus. Ezekiel will demonstrate, in dramatic ways, how Judah has chosen a path that does not lead to God. He will lay on his side in the dirt, visit a valley of dry bones, be bound with cords, all to call attention to the direction that God’s people have taken. Ezekiel will also share God’s love and a vision for worship that God will fulfill. The call is clear. Repent and set your eyes and hearts on God. His purpose is our direction.

As you read Ezekiel this week, remember that God is still at work in His people. He calls for us to check our direction. He offers us a chance to walk away from the world and set our eyes on Jesus. He offers repentance.