“Therefore, I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye” (KJV, Ez. 18:30-32).
“Therefore, I will judge you, O house of Israel”
Father, You have been good to me and have spared me from Your wrath. I am thankful for Your plan of salvation. You are the Judge of all earth, and You will do right. You see the work of man and have called out to the sons of man.
You sent Your Son Jesus into the world, not to condemn the world. Instead, Your desire was to save the world through Jesus. Although You are a Judge, You have made a way for the sinner to repent and be forgiven, for mercy triumphs over judgment.
“every one according to his ways”
Nevertheless, You will judge each one according to his ways. Therefore, although I believe I am in Christ, may I never take Your grace for granted or assume my salvation if my life does not correspond to Your Word. You tell me that first comes death, then comes judgment.
Teach me to take note of what Your Word tells me concerning my salvation. The Bible tells me that a tree can be told by its fruit. Elsewhere, I am informed that faith without works is dead. Paul has stated that those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh.
“saith the Lord God”
Open my ears to hear Your voice. I need Your Spirit to assist me in growing in my ability to discern truth from error. Thank You for Your Word and Your desire to communicate to me through Your Word. Thank You for blessing me with an understanding of Your Word, and I pray that You will give me more.
“Repent”
Repentance is a common theme I read about. Teach me about the necessity to repent. You tell me to repent as though it is a command. Yet, at the same time, Paul told Timothy that repentance is a gift. Thus, I see my need for You and my responsibility coming together.
Faith is also a gift from You while at the same time a command to me. I also pray that You would increase my faith and help me to believe. When you bless me with repentance and faith, I pray that You will help me to exercise them faithfully.
“and turn yourselves from all your transgressions”
I am made aware that repentance is more than a change of mind. While repentance involves changing my mind first and foremost, it also involves turning from my transgressions. Thus, my faith will show forth in my life if it is real. Therefore, please help me to turn from my transgressions today.
I see ways in which I fall short of Your glory. I am convinced that I am not who I ought to be. I desire to be more like Jesus. Fix my eyes on my Savior and help me to lay aside the weight and sin that so easily entangles me.
“so iniquity shall not be your ruin”
You have warned me many times that sin will destroy me. However, sin is deceiving, so I often do not see sin for what it truly is. Give me eyes to see my sin according to Your Word. Help me to believe Your warnings and not to take them lightly.
“Cast away from you all your transgressions”
Father, I thank You that in Christ, You have cast my sin into the sea of forgetfulness. You have done the first work of casting away my sin. Out of my gratitude for what You have done, help me also to cast my sin away and to repent for Your glory.
“whereby ye have transgressed”
I acknowledge my sin to You this day and repent. I have broken Your law and need forgiveness. John has told me that if I say I do not have sin, I am a liar, and the truth is not in me. However, if I confess my sin, You are faithful to forgive me and to cleanse me from my unrighteousness.
Thank You for the purifying work of Your Spirit. I pray for a greater manifestation of Your Spirit in my life so that I would mortify my sin by His power.
“and make you a new heart and a new spirit”
I am reminded of the words of James when he says, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded” (James 4:8). Help me to cleanse my hands and purify my heart this day. Teach me to draw nigh unto You.
“for why will ye die, O house of Israel”
The Bible has said that the wages of sin is death. You told Adam that he would surely die on the day he ate the fruit of the tree. Here I read of God’s warning yet again that sin brings death. May I never believe that sin will not work death in me just because I am a Christian.
Instead, the Bible tells me I will reap what I sow. If I sow sin, I will reap death. If I sow righteousness, I will reap life. So help me to be consistent in my sowing and not grow weary, knowing that in due time I will reap a harvest if I do not give up.
“For I have no pleasure”
Father, teach me what is pleasing in Your sight. When Jesus was on the earth, the Bible tells me that everything He did pleased You. At His baptism, You declared that Jesus was Your beloved Son in Whom You were well pleased. Help me to be like Him.
“in the death of him that dieth”
Nevertheless, here I read that You do not delight in the death of anyone. You are the Judge of all the earth. At the same time, You do not delight in exercising Your judgment upon the wicked in their death. Instead, Peter tells me that You would want all to practice repentance. You are a faithful God.
“saith the Lord God”
Yet again, I am told that I am reading your words. Burden my heart to read Your Word, for I can hear Your voice in Your Word. In Your Word, I know what You desire of me, and I can grow in my relationship with You.
“wherefore turn yourselves”
Father, I am convicted by Your Words. May the Spirit of God work in my life this day to convict me of my sin, my need for righteousness, and the coming judgment? Would He please cause me to abhor sin as You do and delight in living holy?
Cause me to turn dramatically. Cause my repentance not to be sporadic but consistent. Help me to mature as a Christian and to live faithfully before You. You have called me to Your side, and Jesus has told me to His yoke upon myself.
Thank You for my Savior, Who is meek and lowly. Thank You that the burden He tells me to bear is light. Teach me to trust in Jesus and turn to Him this day.
“and live ye”
Jesus has promised me that while Satan came to steal, kill, and destroy, He came so I could live an abundant life. However, sometimes I lose sight of Jesus and get caught up with other things. Sometimes I make trivial matters too important and the important matters like nothing. Help me to turn from this type of thinking and remember that those who lose their lives will find it, but if I seek to save my life, I will lose it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.