Ezekiel 16: 4-22

Hear the words of the Sovereign Lord spoken to the prophet Ezekiel regarding the condition of His chosen people.

Ezekiel 16: 4-22
4 "On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. 5 No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised."

6 " 'Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, "Live!" 7 I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew up and developed and became the most beautiful of jewels.

8 " 'Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine.
9 " 'I bathed you ... 10 I clothed you … with costly garments. 11 I adorned you with jewelry … and put a beautiful crown on your head ... 14 And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect," declares the Sovereign LORD.

15 " 'But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute…16 You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places, where you carried on your prostitution. Such things should not happen, nor should they ever occur. 17 You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, … and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with them … That is what happened," declares the Sovereign LORD.

22 "In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, kicking about in your blood."

Redeeming Father-
O how You open the eyes of my heart to see my pathetic condition! It is nauseating! Thank You for the beauty of redemption. You found me when I was a filthy little babe, cast out like the trash. You stopped, rescued me, took me home, and nurtured me. As I grew and developed in Your loving family, I became as beautiful as glimmering jewels. I became Your precious child. You made a promise to always love and forgive me no matter what I did. You sanctified me, bathed me, and removed all my dirt. You made me holy, blameless and beautiful. You clothed me with a costly garment made by the most famous Designer of all time, Jesus. No amount of money could buy such an elegant robe. You adorned me with expensive jewels including a glorious crown sparkling with forgiveness. The splendor that You gave me made me perfectly lovely. All the riches of Your kingdom were mine.

But, like a spoiled child, I wanted more! I left Your home, trusting in my beauty to get whatever I wanted. I sold my expensive Designer clothes and made them into idols. I worshipped the treasures you gave me and used them for my own pleasure and gain. I completely forgot that I was nothing and had nothing before You found me and focused on me. All this beautiful stuff was MINE. I was exploiting it for MY good.

O God have mercy! It is sickening to look at my behavior! Forgive me Lord, for exploiting my beauty. Cleanse my heart again. Renew a steadfast spirit within me. Please give me a fresh Designer robe of righteousness and I will wear it with dignity to love and serve others for Your kingdom. I will be genuinely beautiful when Your glory shines through me. I will humbly wear the crown of forgiveness and never forget what you did for me in the name of Jesus. Amen.

When and how do you do similar things with the beauty Christ gives you? What condition is your heart in?