Mercy needed…

You shall say, Thus says the Lord God: A city that sheds blood in her midst, so that her time may come, and that makes idols to defile herself! You have become guilty by the blood that you have shed, and defiled by the idols that you have made, and you have brought your days near, the appointed time of your years has come. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all the countries. (Ezekiel 22:3–4)

While I’m not really enjoying reading these OT prophets, it is important to be reminded of how much God hates sin. Because of Jesus, I am not under condemnation. He bore my guilt and paid the penalty for me. He lives in me and intercedes for me. He also changes my life. Yet I realize the importance of obedience, not out of duty or even gratitude, but to demonstrate His grace and power in this world that is caught up in sin.

After these verses, Ezekiel describes the sin of the people so openly that I can hardly read it. Yet I know that without the grace of God and His mercy, I could be with them instead of being disgusted by their sin and deeply saddened. He adds what God is going to do, describing how the dross is removed from precious metals…

“Behold, I strike my hand at the dishonest gain that you have made, and at the blood that has been in your midst. Can your courage endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it. I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you through the countries, and I will consume your uncleanness out of you. And you shall be profaned by your own doing in the sight of the nations, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” 
And the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me; all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are dross of silver. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. As one gathers silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into a furnace, to blow the fire on it in order to melt it, so I will gather you in my anger and in my wrath, and I will put you in and melt you. I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in the midst of it. As silver is melted in a furnace, so you shall be melted in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the Lord; I have poured out my wrath upon you.” (Ezekiel 22:13–22)

Yet this was not done as revenge or punishment but as His way of showing to them that He is Lord. 

Jesus, I need to view the heat and fire in life as Your way of removing my sin and purifying my life. Instead of trying to pray away the tough times, I need to let them shape me, and let them show me that You are the Lord of life, my life and the lives of every life on this sin-filled planet. Have mercy!