Focus

Prepare yourself to discern what is and what is not of God today. Still yourself so you can hear how God is calling you.

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Read

Ezekiel 2:1-5 (NRSV)

He said to me: O mortal, stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you. And when he spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; and I heard him speaking to me. He said to me, Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have transgressed against me to this very day. The descendants are impudent and stubborn. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD.” Whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house), they shall know that there has been a prophet among them.

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Reflect

In this story, God speaks. Many times, we long to hear God’s voice in our own lives for guidance. In this narrative, however, God is saying something that nobody wants to hear! God is sending the Hebrew prophet Ezekiel to a nation of people who are known for being: rebellious, brazen, and obstinate. What’s more, God wants Ezekiel to tell them things that they don’t even want to listen to. I would be the first to say, “No thanks, God! That doesn’t seem very safe. Or comfortable.”

Then again, our God isn’t exactly a God of leisure. Justice, goodness, and grace, yes! But leisure and safety don’t seem to be God’s top priorities in this passage. There’s a reason why we encounter reluctant prophets so often in biblical texts (and in our world today): the work of our Lord is often difficult. The actions to which our God calls each of us are rarely easy, but my goodness, are they good!

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Pray

Loving God, we know that the calls you have for us may not be the easiest, but they are indeed good. Thank you for walking with us and giving us strength, even when the going gets tough. We love you, Lord. Amen.

Go with God.