One of the most powerful passages in this week’s reading is found in Ezekiel 18. God speaks to His people who feel trapped by the sins of their fathers, weighed down by the patterns of the past, and He declares something that is important for us to focus on.
“The one who sins is the one who will die… But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die.” Ezekiel 18:20–21
God’s heart is not for condemnation but for transformation
God is reminding His people — and us — that we are not prisoners of our past or victims of someone else’s choices. Each of us stands before the Lord. God’s heart is not for condemnation but for transformation.
He even says in verse 23, “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?”
He longs to see us turn from sin and step into life
This reveals something beautiful about God’s character: He delights in mercy. He takes joy in repentance. He longs to see us turn from sin and step into life.
So here’s the call for us today: Choose life. Don’t stay stuck in shame. Don’t believe the lie that your past defines you. Our good God is inviting you into a fresh start, right now. He’s more eager to forgive than we are to ask.
As we continue to journey through God’s Word this year, may Ezekiel 18 remind us that the Lord is not holding us at a distance — He is calling us closer. Today can be a new beginning. Today can be the day you choose life.