For any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel, who separates himself from me, taking his idols into his heart and putting the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to a prophet to consult me through him, I the LORD will answer him myself. And I will set my face against that man; I will make him a sign and a byword and cut him off from the midst of my people, and you shall know that I am the LORD.

Last week our devotional theme was the realization that we are sinners, which moves us into this week’s focus on our separation from God.  Sin is the reason for the separation, the gulf that exists between every man, woman, child and their Creator.  This is reflected not only in our relationship with Him but in our relationships with each other.  Violence, abuse, neglect, hatred, bitterness, abandonment – the list goes on and on.

Oftentimes, God is blamed for the miserable outcome of our bad decisions and unfortunately, the decisions of those who preceded us. Our pride says that God shouldn’t allow these things to happen. Instead, humility should tell us that God has given us an unspeakable gift – free will. This gift is precious, so priceless that we should pause to recognize the responsibility that comes with it. Our decisions have consequences now and echo through eternity.

Our scripture today in Ezekiel 14 notes that when separation occurs, we find idols, or substitutes, to fill the void that only He can fill. A look at our culture indicates this reality. We try to find answers, rest, peace, fulfillment in the pursuit of everything but Him, expecting our accomplishments and material acquisitions to satiate the desires of our heart. But verse 7 reveals the doublemindedness of man in that we come to Him while still pursuing these idols: “yet comes to a prophet to consult me through him.”

Not only are idols an issue, but the next part of verse 7 suggests that we don’t even see the issue. We erect a “stumbling block” in front of us. This tripping hazard doesn’t have to be very tall to cause our stumble, yet, like an iceberg, the hidden part is massive. We are powerless to remove this mostly-hidden stumbling block.

God is resolute and holy. His response to this behavior is, “I will set my face against that man” and “cut him off from the midst of my people.” Separation is complete because man will not turn from his idols and sin.

Separation is the bad news. Isolation without God’s presence is terrifying to ponder. At some point, we realize something isn’t right in our lives. We simply may not like ourselves, disgusted with who we are and what we’ve become. We sense that our true purpose has escaped us, regardless of our social standing, wealth, or knowledge.

That opens the door to the Good News! Jesus opens the door that spans the gulf our sin has created. He provides the way back to God, back to the relationship and purpose that we were created for. Separation is no more. The things hidden under the surface that cause us to stumble are exposed. We have been given spiritual discernment to recognize these hazards of the flesh from our past. We may sin now, but the process of sanctification pours grace into our stumbling moments to root out that sin and move us past it. His Spirit gives us the strength to forsake the folly of our earthly idols and live a life that is consistent with a new identity as a member of the family of God, no longer “cut off from the midst of my people.”

This is the Good News that we carry into our world every day. We don’t share it because it’s news of events just involving other people; we share it because it's news that has impacted us personally. Sharing is the personal testimony of God’s work in us.

Dear Heavenly Father, I confess my sin against you. I rest in your mercy and grace, knowing that you are faithful. The forgiveness of sin through your Son is incomprehensible sometimes when I realize the gravity of my unworthiness. Yet, you determine my true worth, and that is what I trust. Thank you for the beckoning call of your son, Jesus! Amen!