Watered-Down Devotion

​My teenage son stared, disappointed, as he swirled his not-so-iced vanilla latte in front of him. We had stopped for coffee before a doctor’s appointment, but he had been so fixated on filling his stomach with food that he never got around to enjoying his beverage.
 
Hours later, the cup was now covered in condensation. Inside, tiny shards of ice floated around in the noticeably lighter liquid. The once-desirable drink was now completely unappetizing.
 
God knew the same thing would happen to His family if they intermarried with other nations. He had chosen the nation of Israel to display His glory to the world, through them. He called them to be different, set apart. God’s directives on intermarrying had nothing to do with race and everything to do with their wholeheartedness.

God explained, through Moses, “Do not intermarry… they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods, and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you” (Deut. 7:3-4).
 
And of course God was right. Years later, Solomon “loved many foreign women” (1 Kings 11:1). His compromise started a Domino effect.
 
Israel was led astray to worship other gods in addition to Yahweh. Their spiritual devotion became so watered down they looked and lived no different than anyone else. The nation that once was a clear display of God’s might and splendor experienced drought, famine, and eventually exile.
 
This history explains Ezra’s extreme reaction to the report of intermarriage after returning home to Jerusalem. As a priest and student of the Torah, he immediately perceived the danger of their disobedience of God’s command.
 
Ezra grieved. Ezra prayed. And the Word says, “a large crowd… gathered around him” (Ezra 10:1). Together they wept over their unfaithfulness to their faithful God. But they didn’t stop at confession— they truly repented by taking action. The foreigners willing to lay aside their nation’s gods and embrace Yahweh as the one true God stayed, while everyone else was sent away.
 
As believers, we are chosen to live as salt in a tasteless world so that others will “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8). To be salty requires that we be set apart, wholeheartedly devoted unto God’s ways— not everyone else’s.
Sadly, if we look around, we see a church that is not unlike that which Ezra saw. Like my son’s latte and the Israelites, many of us have conformed to our environment. We have intermarried with the ways of the world:
 

• We worship materialistic things, pop stars, and political leaders.
• We determine “truth” by our feelings and popular opinion.
• We destroy relationships through selfishness and foolish arguments.

 
When we study God’s Word, like Ezra, we see that God takes obedience seriously; as Christ-followers, we should too. His glory should be our utmost priority in everything we say and do.
 
Intermarrying with the world’s ways waters down our witness.
 
In response, we should all stop right here and ask ourselves this question: In what ways have I become conformed to my worldly environment? 
 
When the Holy Spirit reveals an area of disobedience, take time to grieve and confess. But, friend, don’t let it stop there— allow that grieving to move you to genuine repentance through action. Throw that addiction in the trash. Delete the app. Call a friend for accountability.
 
Wholehearted devotion concentrates God’s “flavor” in our lives. Make the decision to “be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands…” (1 Kings 8:61). When others “taste” your life, they will desire what’s inside, and you can share with them your not-so-secret ingredient— Jesus

Memory Verse: ​“And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.” 1 Kings 8:61

About the Author

Hi, I’m Katie Gibson! My incredible husband Craig and I have been married for 15 years and live in North Atlanta with our three children. My favorite things include black coffee, small group, date nights, and the Atlanta Braves. I'm passionate about teaching the truth of God's Word in a practical and encouraging way that helps others experience the abundant life Jesus promised. Join me on my journey of knowing God in the midst of ministry, marriage and motherhood at www.katiegibsonwrites.com.