No Time = No Relationship

Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Again and again you remind me of your sin and your guilt.  You don’t even try to hide it!  In everything you do, your sins are obvious for all to see.  So now the time of your punishment has come! [Ezekiel 21.24]

Almost everywhere I read in the Bible reminds me of the necessity of God's Word in our lives.  As I understand the practical application of Ezekiel 21.24 (above), I realize that our only sin in contemporary times is failure to receive and believe in Jesus.  Yes, Jesus has made it that simple.  However, we have a tendency to try to separate Jesus and the Word (the message of Jesus).  The reason we do this is to sooth our conscience into thinking we can have relationship with Jesus without the Word.  We say we have relationship with Jesus but spend no quality time with Him in His message and story (the Bible).  We have deceived ourselves to think that a relationship with God requires no time.  We say we believe but are unplugged from the one and only source of faith, God's Word.

Back to Ezekiel, as we continue in deceiving ourselves regarding our Word-less relationship with God, the only thing we effectively accomplish is that we remind God of our sin - the sin of unbelief - because faith only comes by God's Word.  And what's more, we don't even try to hide it!  We totally justify our actions because we are simply too busy with life, family, work, etc...  We announce it for all to hear that we are too busy and simply do not have time for God's Word!

There will be a lot of things revealed at the end of time.  The thing that concerns me the most however is how God will surely deal with those of us who say we know Him but have spent no quality time whatsoever in His Word giving ourselves no exposure to the faith-building message of Jesus throughout the Bible.  There we will stand armed, not with faith grown from a consistent diet of the Word, but with our pitiful excuses about having no time for the Word.  And then we will fain surprise when God says, "I never knew you."

Father, I want to KNOW You more and more each and every day.  I want to be one of those found in the condition of "being made holy" mentioned in Hebrews 10.14.  I know that holiness comes from Your Word and Your Word alone.