October 22

Read: Ezekiel 36:27-31

I will put my spirit within you… Then shall ye remember your own evil ways (Ezekiel 36:27, 31).

Then Shall Ye Remember

In order to reclaim and cure the alcoholic, the doctor sometimes prescribes a daily dose of antibuse. This drug causes a violent reaction when mixed with alcohol. If the man takes a drink while the antibuse is in his system, the reaction makes him extremely nauseated. The memory of his last illness is motivation enough to cause him to leave liquor alone.

Does God have some kind of moral and spiritual antibuse to help save men from sinning? He promised it to Israel. Here were people who backslid again and again. Their besetting sin was idolatry. As we read the history of Israel it appears that nothing could cure them of slipping back into their old evil ways. But God gave them this blessed promise, “I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes… Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.” God kept His promise. It is a fact of history that after the return from exile Israel never again lapsed into idolatry.

It is a good thing for a man to remember his past sins when that memory brings a loathing for evil. It is still better when the memory brings gratitude for cleansing, and a deeper dependence upon God for power to live a holy life. This ministry of memory is one of the blessed ways that the Holy Spirit works in us.

Prayer For Today

Spirit of the living God, may the vision of Thy holiness create in me a revulsion for every sin that once enticed me. By the power of Thine indwelling presence keep me holy and happy and useful. In Jesus” name. Amen.