Recapture Their Hearts

Today’s Through the Bible Reading: Ezekiel 14 – 16

“I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel…” Ezekiel 14:5 NIV

In today’s reading, God told Ezekiel that He was going to discipline Israel, but with one distinct purpose in mind: to bring their hearts back to Him (Ezek. 14:5-6).

How many of you would agree that discipline is unpleasant? That’s especially true if it comes from someone you really respect. How much more so when it comes from God! But like any loving parent, God disciplines His children out of a deep love for them. Our Heavenly Father never corrects or chastises us without good reason or godly purpose (Ezek. 14:23). And here, in Ezekiel, God describes both the reason for Israel’s discipline and what He would accomplish through it.

The reason Israel needed to be disciplined was due to their idolatry. That discipline would come in the form of the nation being carried off to Babylon. But even here we see the grace of God – for Israel would respond to God’s chastisement and emerge free, once and all from their bondage to idolatry and restored to the Land of Promise.

Just as God lovingly and purposefully disciplined Israel, so too He lovingly and purposefully disciplines you and me. And He graciously tells us what His purpose is:

“All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.” Hebrews 12:11-13 NASB

So if you feel a bit of correction today, know this, child of God: Your Heavenly Father wants you to be totally set free from anything that would keep you from serving Him whole-heartedly! He has a purpose, a plan, and a blessing in the end.

by Sharon Kaselonis / All rights reserved ©