The Rewards of Repentance and Obedience

God brought a great destruction on Jerusalem because of their terrible sins. However, He did not forsake them. He went to them in the countries where they were taken, and He stayed close to them in their time of exile. Then, when they were able to return to Israel, He gave them a great reward for taking away their detestable things and abominations.(Ezekiel 11:18,19) He gave them "one heart," which means they had spiritual unity. He gave them a new spirit, which means their enthusiasm for God was renewed. Then, He took the hard heart of stone away and gave them a soft heart of flesh, so they could be responsive to Him. All of this could only happen when they decided to repent of their sins and obey God fully.

The same thing will happen to any family, any church, or any nation today. If we will repent of our sins and turn fully to God, He will radically change our lives. He rewards repentance and obedience every time. The questions is, "Will we decide to repent and obey?" If so, when will we do that? Let's pray that it will be soon.

Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 12-14.