“’I
Will Save You From All Your Uncleanness’”
“‘For I will take you out
of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back
into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean;
I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will
give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your
heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you
and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will
live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be
your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain
and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. I will increase the
fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer
suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine. Then you will remember
your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins
and detestable practices. I want you to know that I am not doing this for your
sake, declares the Sovereign Lord. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct,
people of Israel!
Ezekiel
36:24-32
God’s cleansing washes
away all of our impurities.
In Ezekiel we see God
call His people back to Himself.
The Israelites had sinned
as they proclaimed their allegiance to other gods and other nations. The Lord,
however, was merciful in welcoming them back to Himself.
As in the days of the
prophet Ezekiel, today the Lord welcomes us back to Him if we go astray. When
we submit ourselves to His will and His ways, He transforms us as He washes us
clean from our sins. With His Holy Spirit dwelling within us, He helps us to
follow Him day by day.
The
Lord makes us clean.
Our
Daily Bread – August 30, 2017