Have you seen a wall with a structural crack or mould? The tempting solution is to find some white paint and cover it. Easy, quick and cheap! And it looks good! But the long-term solution is to investigate the root cause of the problem and repair it. The root can go deep underneath the wall at the foundation.
This was Ezekiel's message (Read it here). But note his message wasn't for people who don't believe in God. Rather, it's for people who were teaching other people about God.
They told people, "Peace, peace" when there is no peace (v.10). They gave sugar-coated warm messages that made people feel good, rather than the true message God wants to tell the people. And the worst thing is, both the teachers and the people couldn't tell the false messages were false!
'When a flimsy wall is built, you cover it with whitewash... I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare.' (13:5,14)
Think...
'When a flimsy wall is built, you cover it with whitewash" (13:10). What does this look like spiritually?
How do you tell whether you're whitewashing or repairing the cracks in your spiritual life?
Feel...
What does it look like emotionally? What are the examples in which we cover cracks in our emotional structure with whitewash, and pretend it's OK?
