Day 5
Lisa Sheffler, author
On Day 5 of the Engage God Daily, we spend some time digesting what we’ve learned and inviting the Spirit to transform us. Today we’re going to look to the prophet Ezekiel for our next steps as we seek to turn from idols and worship God alone.
Read
Ezekiel 14:4-6
‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry. 5 I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’ 6 “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!
Ezekiel 36:25–27
25 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. 26 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. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
Ask Yourself
- What does the Lord tell us through Ezekiel that we must do when it comes to idols? (14:6)
- Why can’t we turn from idols on our own? What is God’s part in our repentance? How does God cleanse us of our idolatry?
- How does the promise in Ezekiel give us hope even as we struggle with guilt over our idolatry?
- Review this week’s big question — why is idolatry a grievous sin? What part does pride play in idolatry?
Reflect
Praise God that he has given us a new heart through Jesus Christ! We have been redeemed and set free from idolatry.
Throughout out series we are going to take three steps each week:
- Under the Spirit’s guidance, we’re going to identify the idols of our hearts and recognize how God meets the need we’re trying to satisfy with an idol.
- We’re going to turn from that idol — release it and repent of it. In the words of Deuteronomy 12:3, we’re going to smash our idols!
- We’re going to turn to God. We’re going to worship God with our whole hearts and ask the Spirit to grow our faith. We’re going to gratefully receive the abundance that God offers us in Christ.
How would you apply those steps to the idolatry of pride? Pray, then record your thoughts, talk them over with someone else, and then after hearing the sermon, prayerfully plan how to smash your idol.
Pray
Father,
In Christ, you have given me a new heart and put your Spirit in me. I am so grateful. Show me how I am being deceived by the idols of my generation. Reveal to me anything I am putting before you. I come to you first with all my needs and wants, asking you to shape them and then meet them according to your will. I trust you, God. Thank you for your great love for me.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Talk about it
- Discuss with a trusted friend or family member your biggest takeaway from this week. Ask for them to pray for you and help hold you accountable as you commit to smashing idols in your life.
Coming next week
Most of us are going to need a big hammer to smash next week’s idol — materialism and money. Lucky for us, the Holy Spirit is ready to knock that one down for our good and his glory!
