Ezekiel 24:14 “’I, the Lord, have spoken; it is coming and I will act. I will not relent, and I will not pity and I will not be sorry; according to your ways and according to your deeds I will judge you,’ declares the Lord God.”

TOUGH WORDS

These are harsh words. These are words that we do not want to hear. These are words that no one ever wants to experience first-hand. But they are the Lord’s words to a rebellious people. He had sent prophet after prophet to proclaim to the nation their need for repentance. He had given them chance after chance to turn away from their filthy idols and come back to pure worship of Him, Jehovah God. But the people continued to rebel.

Now, before you judge too quickly, remember that we are just like them. We thumb our nose at God too may times. We think we have it all together and don’t need guidance from Him. We believe we have the knowledge and experience to face life’s challenges without leaning on a “spiritual crutch.” We may not bow before a false idol or pray to a pagan god, but we are just as guilty of rebellion.

TEACHING MOMENT

So, how can this truth of God’s judgment be taught to our children? Don’t shy away from being brutally honest with your children about God’s holiness and His demands on our lives. Your children need to know that a Holy God has the right to judge us for our unbelief. Even while He holds us accountable He will not force us to comply. Our children have to understand that it is their choice.

We parents cannot force our children to comply to our rules. We can enforce consequences for their disobedience, but we cannot make them do what we ask. They have to choose. The next time you have to deal with an issue with your child, talk about how we all have to be “dealt” with one day by a Righteous Judge.

Oh, but the beauty of it all is that, when we bow and surrender to Him, all the guilt and punishment is removed from us. Christ has taken all this on Himself on our behalf. When we give our lives to Him, He takes a stand in our place. All I have to do is believe and surrender my will to His. Now, that’s a deal. I do not get what I deserve because He took what He did not deserve. Hallelujah what a Savior.