How can we apply Ezekiel 20:29 to avoid spiritual complacency in our lives? The Historical Snapshot “Then I said to them: ‘What is this high place to which you go?’ And to this day it is called Bamah.” – Ezekiel 20:29 • In Ezekiel’s day, Israel’s “high places” were literal hilltop shrines where the people drifted into idolatry. • God’s question confronts a nation that had grown apathetic toward true worship, comfortable with compromise, and dull to His commandments. • The verse stands as a living reminder that any tolerated substitute for wholehearted devotion invites judgment and loss of fellowship. Why High Places Still Matter Today • Scripture speaks with unchanging authority; the temptation to set up modern “high places” remains. • Complacency often hides behind routine church attendance, moral respectability, or Christian vocabulary while the heart quietly drifts. • 1 Corinthians 10:11: “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us…”—God means Ezekiel’s warning for believers now. Recognizing Our Modern “High Places” • Habitual sins we excuse because “everyone struggles with that.” • Entertainment choices that dull sensitivity to holiness. • Career ambitions that displace time with the Lord. • Religious activities performed for image rather than intimacy. • Comfort zones that keep us from obeying hard promptings of the Spirit. • Relationships we elevate above obedience to Christ. Practical Steps to Tear Them Down • Daily self-examination: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Ask the Spirit to expose hidden idols. • Immediate repentance: When a “high place” is revealed, forsake it without delay (Proverbs 28:13). • Replace, don’t just remove: Fill vacated space with Scripture, worship, service, and fellowship (Psalm 119:11). • Accountability: Invite trusted believers to guard your blind spots (Hebrews 10:24-25). • Continual gratitude: Thankfulness keeps the heart alive to God and resistant to complacency (Colossians 2:6-7). • Watchfulness in prayer: “Be alert and sober-minded” (1 Peter 5:8) to keep old idols from sneaking back. Safeguards Against Drift • Cultivate first-love passion: “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned your first love. Remember then how far you have fallen…” (Revelation 2:4-5). • Celebrate small obediences: Faithfulness in ordinary moments builds a life hostile to complacency (Luke 16:10). • Regularly revisit the cross: Meditating on Christ’s sacrifice rekindles awe and urgency (Galatians 6:14). • Live with eternity in view: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2). When heaven’s horizon is bright, earthly high places lose their lure. Encouragement from Other Scriptures • Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart… See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” • James 4:8: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” • 1 John 5:21: “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” By confronting personal “high places” with immediacy and replacing them with passionate devotion, Ezekiel 20:29 becomes a daily guardrail, steering us away from spiritual complacency and into vibrant, wholehearted fellowship with the Lord. |
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