The Sovereign Lord says, ‘On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt.’ ~ Ezekiel 36: 33
The people of God had sinned against Him. As a loving parent who is concerned about His children, God chastised them and corrected them in good measure. They resisted the correction and this meant that they had to go through a lot of sorrow. This sorrow was a result of their doings and actions that provoked God.
The loving Father that He is, He didn’t keep Himself away from them too long. He wanted them to be cleansed from their sins, to made pure and whole so they could fellowship with Him again. He was looking for a chance to do good for them but it was necessary for them to repent from their sins that caused them to be separated from Him. Once they were clean, He could bless them. He didn’t want to stop there… He had plans to resettle them and rebuild even their ruins.
Have you examined where your relationship with God stands today? Is there something that you are holding on to that is coming in the way? Is it some some sin, some weakness or love for something that is ungodly? Look deep into yourself and see if there is something that you need to be cleansed from? Once the cleansing is over, your blessing will come. God reassures you that you will be restored and all the areas of your life that are desolate and in ruins – will be rebuilt.
Prepare Yourselves
“And Joshua said to the people, Sanctify yourselves [that is, separate yourselves for a special holy purpose], for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” – Joshua 3:5
Have you seen how museums and palaces that hold precious things like crowns, antiques and priceless paintings are always kept spotlessly clean? We too are careful to ensure that our precious things at home are kept in a special place that is safe and clean. We don’t allow any trash to be kept next to them, do we?
It is the same with God. He doesn’t want to place His precious blessings in our lives when we have surrounded ourselves with ungodly things that He abhors. He wants us to separate ourselves from those things that separate us from Him.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus,
Lord, please forgive me for holding on to the things of this world that are displeasing and abhorrent to You. Please help me to let go of ungodly things and cleanse me so that I can be Your child and live a life that is pleasing to You. Help me to draw close to You, read Your word, grow in faith and be whole so I can enjoy your blessings to the full. Amen.
Henrietta Decruz
Henrietta is a writer, singer-songwriter, blogger and social worker based in Kerala, India. Having encountered God closely through life's many ups and downs, she has a passion to use her God-given talents for His glory and to see lives transformed across the nations.
