looking for Love in all the wrong places.

In Ezekiel 16, the Lord tells Ezekiel what he has done for Israel and what Israel, in turn, has done to Him. This account is filled with pretty strong, obscene language. He literally describes Israel as playing the whore, over and over and over again. Israel took what the Lord lovingly lavished on her: incredible beauty, luxurious clothing, beautiful jewelry, fine foods, and other gifts and she began using it to attract and entangle herself with others.

Israel went out on her own, left the protection and love of God, and found out the hard way that it is impossible to be fully satisfied outside of God’s love.

In every example God gives of Israel searching for love in all the wrong places, He says immediately following, “you were not satisfied.”

How many times have we done the same thing?

We’ve explored what the world has to offer in the hopes of finding satisfaction in whatever way we think we need it, only to be left feeling empty.

Broken.

Confused.

Frustrated.        

Alone.                

Abandoned.

Tired.

Spent.

Abused.

Angry.

Defeated.

Depressed.

Lifeless.

I don’t know a single person who can honestly say they’ve never been in that place…

Made a mistake, a poor decision, a wrong turn, an unwise choice that has left any number of these feelings. And how many times we’ve gotten to that place, only to find no true satisfaction. No true love is there waiting. Just these other terrible feelings.

We don’t have to keep making the same decisions again and again in an attempt to experience love and satisfaction. It simply doesn’t work. We always find ourselves right back in the same place.

But Love, true Love still longs for us to return to Him. He offers complete forgiveness from our shame.

He wants to take us as his own (v. 8), cover us (v. 8), make us to flourish (v. 7), anoint us (v. 9), be in covenant with us (v. 8), lavish us in fine gifts (v. 10-13), grow our beauty (v. 13), and advance us to royalty (v. 13).

The redemption and restoration that only comes from the Lord is indescribable. He says,

“I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord, that you may remember and be confounded, and never open you mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord God.” – Ezekiel 16:62-63 ESV

This is the incredible redemption we have in Christ.

You will never be asked to open your mouth again because of your shame!

His atonement and covenant with us is so forgiving and so loving that we will be confused by it. We won’t even understand it. But we will know that He is the Lord. We will know He is Love. He is the only one who can satisfy those deep longings.

So my friend. You don’t have to keep looking for love in any place but in the safe and protective arms of your Heavenly Father. Your one and only Love who has atoned for every mistake, every failure, every piece of shame or guilt, and every scar.

No longer do you need to open your mouth in shame.

You have already been atoned for by the blood of Jesus Christ. He is Love. He gave everything in order to lavish you with His Love.