Read: Ezekiel 16:48-56
Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. Ezekiel 16:49 KJV
According to the Bible, self-indulgence is a way of feeding “the passions of the flesh” (1 Peter 2:11 KJV).
We all know that there are things that we want.
Things we just feel we must have.
Not something that we really need.
Many times, it is because we see others with it.
Those are the times when we really must look at what we are doing.
To see where this desire is coming from.
Is it really a need or just a want?
Especially recognizing the ones that do not originate from faith (Romans 14:23 KJV).
The Prophet Ezekiel sheds light on this matter.
He speaks about an ancient city whose people suffered God’s judgement because of their actions.
A judgement brought on because they chose to live a lifestyle that was based on greed and worldly things.
They were told “Behold this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom.”
“Pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters.”
“Neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.” (Ezekiel 16:49 KJV).
That “they were haughty, and committed abomination before (Me): therefore I took them away as I saw good” (Ezekiel 16:50 KJV).
The Father was not pleased with their actions.
And they had to suffer the consequences for them.
This passage is a reminder to us that we are not to follow paths like this.
We are to think hard about the decisions we make in life.
Knowing that the Lord has always dealt harshly with the ones who become arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned about their conduct (Ezekiel 16:49 KJV).
That He will continue to do so.
The only way to overcome this behavior is by following God’s leading.
To live according to the Word.
Praying and casting all our cares on Him.
No longer feeding the passions of the flesh.
To serve others that may be in need and not just ourselves (Philippians 2:4 KJV).
Following His path of righteousness gets easier.
The satisfaction that we feel is much greater.
The right decisions come even faster the more we walk a straight line.
When we never stray from it.
We grow stronger in faith.
Our lives are much better.
Trust in the Word.
His blessings are much greater.
A promise that the Father will always keep.
A WORD OF PRAYER
Father, we know that there will be things we like and desire in life. We are not to let them cause us to be self- centered and cause us to forget about how we are to treat others. Thank You for the reminders of the punishments we could face. For showing us the way, we should be handling things. It is in our best interest not to feed the passions of the flesh. But to always follow Your ways.
In Jesus’ Name We Pray, Amen