Ezekiel 14:1-8 (NLT)
Then some of the leaders of Israel visited me, and while they were sitting with me, this message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, these leaders have set up idols in their hearts. They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin. Why should I listen to their requests? Tell them, ‘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 a prophet asking for a message. So I, the Lord, will give them the kind of answer their great idolatry deserves. I will do this to capture the minds and hearts of all my people who have turned from me to worship their detestable idols.’
“Therefore, tell the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent and turn away from your idols, and stop all your detestable sins. I, the Lord, will answer all those, both Israelites and foreigners, who reject me and set up idols in their hearts and so fall into sin, and who then come to a prophet asking for my advice. I will turn against such people and make a terrible example of them, eliminating them from among my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
Explanation:
I was in a social setting when another person mentioned that if we eat anything with sugar at night, we wake up ravenous. I did not know that.
I started paying attention and realized sugar revved up my appetite whenever I ate it. Then I learned something else. My taste buds regenerate every ten days and can be reset. After eating healthy things, my body started craving healthy food, and what was once appealing became unappealing. I also realized that certain foods left me feeling satisfied for long periods. The correction began with one piece of good information that I contemplated and implemented.
Did you know idols are like sugar? One idol in your heart rearranges the dynamics of your heart in such a way that it throws off your spiritual balance, and soon more cravings begin. Using an idol to quench spiritual hunger will lead to a pattern of using props to try to satisfy your soul, and you will feel the emptiness.
Idols can’t nurture or fill what only God can. Do you know what has to be created in order to demolish idols?
Hunger for God.
When you hunger and long for God your heart is not satisfied with imposters.
If I were to hold you under water for an extended period of time, it would soon become very evident what you longed for: oxygen and only oxygen. Eventually you would fight with all your might to free yourself from whatever was keeping you from getting oxygen. There are needs in our spiritual hearts that can only be filled with God, as plainly as our lungs need oxygen.
Creating hunger started small for me. I set my alarm early to give myself time to tell God I loved and needed Him, read a few verses in John, meditated on what I read, and then listened to worship music as I dressed for high school. Then I found myself hungering for more. I bought a study Bible, and my conversations with God matured as I began the practice of enjoying His presence. Here I am 50 years later still longing and living in the reality that only Jesus can satisfy my soul.
Examine the thoughts and desires that captivate you. That’s where you’ll find answers to sin and failure in your life. Don’t be deceived into thinking that you need more willpower.
What you need is more of God.
Application:
As only oxygen works for our lungs, only more of God works for our spiritual lives. We are tempted by idols when it’s God's presence we are really hungry for. When you hunger and thirst for righteousness…you will be filled (Matthew 5:6). Are you ready?
Your heart will be full of something. Why not Jesus?
Ezekiel 14:3b above says “They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin.” How does this illustrate the need to be spiritually preemptive?
Devo Plus:
When we fail to believe the truth about who Jesus is and miss the impact of His astounding work in suffering and dying for our sin, it will be impossible to resist the allurement of the gods of this earth as they whisper their promised pleasures to us. - Elyse M. Fitzpatrick
Prayer:
God… I need YOU. I feel wonky and anemic in my spiritual life. Give me eyes to see what I don’t see. Give me ears to hear what I am missing. I’m exhausted by my wandering, and I long to be close to Your heart. Draw me in and free me from the tentacles of idols in my heart. I invite Your Holy Spirit to set my spirit free. Amen.