Idols of the Heart!

Ezekiel was a priest among the Jewish captives carried away to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar.  God turned this priest into a prophet and made him prophesy to the exiles at about the same time Jeremiah was prophesying in Judah.  Jeremiah's prophecies reminding the people of their wickedness resulted in their captivity in Babylon.  Even after suffering much, the people did not realize their wickedness.  The elders who were the leaders of the Israelite community in exile came to Ezekiel to hear God's word to them as though they wanted to listen to the word and obey that word!  The Lord who sees the heart said, "Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity.  Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?"(Ezekiel 14:1).  

The elders must have come hoping to hear some oracle about the length of their exile.  They pretended as though they wanted to listen to the prophet.  It is like coming to church with a big Bible or getting involved in various ministries while not obeying the ordinances of God!  Nothing had changed outwardly in their allegiance to the Lord, but they had taken idols into their hearts.  Their idols were not evident outwardly but were in their hearts.  Ananias and Sapphira, too (Acts 5), looked spiritual on the outside but had idols in their hearts.   Knowing their hearts, God asked Ezekiel an obvious and important question.  This question, with the assumed answer of "no," showed that God had no obligation to answer these men.  God had a simple response: repent and return (Ezekiel 14: 6-8).  Sometimes we pray and seek God's guidance but receive no answer.  Envy, hatred, unforgiveness, and disobedience to God's Word are idols in the heart.  Every unconfessed sin is an idol in the heart.  Everything that takes the first place in our life is an idol in the heart!  Unless we repent and return to the Lord, we cannot receive counsel or guidance from the Lord!

My friend, are there unanswered prayers in your life?  Look within your heart!  You may find the answer there!  God is faithful, and so we can confess to God and call for His compassion.  The Bible says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).  

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