I recently heard a very meaningful sermon on the life of Ezekiel. A missionary was speaking to a room filled with Bible college graduates. Young people just beginning their journey for Christ.
Perhaps you have been there. You’ve been saved a short while and your faith is bright, shiny new. You were excited about everything to do with God. This is because at the time you gave your life to Christ the Holy Spirit came to dwell with in and fill you with joy and renewal.
Then you hear preachers preaching about serving God and you desire to do that. It might not be on the scale of becoming a missionary but you are longing for God to call you into a ministry. You are inspired and willing. Singing “I will go wherever you want me to go” Fully prepared to serve God with everything you have.
But how many of us, at that time in our lives, have a very different vision of how life may be after we surrender to God. God’s plan for our lives might be diametrically opposed to our plans, hopes, and dreams. I say our because as we envision this future walk with God it is indeed our vision and not His.
One thing we may not realize is that when we surrender our lives to God and lay our all on the altar of sacrifice we are placing our future in God’s hands. We are giving Him complete control to use us as He sees fit. We have taken our hands off of our lives and placed everything in His hands.
I think when we truly face this fact it is frightening. What plans does God have for us? We like to be in control and letting go of that can be a source of insecurity and worry. We look around us and we see other Christians suffering from illnesses or a difficulty that we do not want. Is God going to allow that in our lives?
We know from the promises in God’s Word that He loves us and has good plans for us. So we can’t deny that; but I think the crux of the problems lies in our definition of good. Believe it or not our definition of good may not be as good as what God has planned no matter where we find ourselves on our journey with Him.
Back to Ezekiel. He was called to be a prophet to the nation of Israel when they were under God’s judgement. They were being carried away to Babylon as captives. Soon God was going to destroy Jerusalem because of God’s people’s wickedness.
God asks Ezekiel to do some unusual things in order to give the Israelites several object lessons about what they could expect in the future. Many of these required some real inconvenience and down right suffering for Ezekiel. In one instance he was told to lay on his left side for 394 days and then on his other side for forty days. God asked of Ezekiel more than Ezekiel could ever have imagined I think.
But how was he able to obey God? Why didn’t he resist? If you read the first few chapters of the book of Ezekiel you will find that more than once he beheld the glory of God and was filled with God’s Spirit. That is the reason he was able to obey God in many different circumstances. For instance he was told by God that his wife would die suddenly. Then God admonished him not to mourn because her death would and Ezekiel’s lack of mourning would represent to Israel that God would not mourn over there coming destruction because of their disobedience to Him.
In the past few years, having been struck unexpectedly with an autoimmune disease I have learned some lessons about God’s will and His leading in my life. I was serving God actively and planned to continue on but God in His wisdom chose differently. I did not like His choice. But then I realized that when I gave my life to Him; I gave Him the right to do with it as He saw fit. My life no longer belongs to me it belongs to Him.
Is this a bad thing? No. I can only imagine the terrible choices I would make with my life if I was in charge. The consequences would be much more severe than suffering through an illness, not alone, but with God has my helper and companion. With the knowledge He is using me—yes using me—in spite of my infirmity or maybe because of it.
On the most difficult days He is my helper. I can take another step because of His hand holding mine.
And I realized from this illustration of Ezekiel something else. Our whole purpose once we accept Christ in our lives is to win souls. It is the great commission and no matter what state we find ourselves in life His purpose for us is to that end.
Because of my illness I have had endless doctor visits where I have had opportunities to share Bible tracts. I have met people on the road of life I never would have met before. I have been places I don’t want to go but God wants me there and I often find His timing is just right. So many people out there, Christians and unsaved alike, need a word from Him.
And the unsaved—
Jesus says look unto the fields that are ripe for harvest. Yes a season of harvest. What are the consequences for these people if God does not send someone to witness to them? Eternity in hell. A place of eternal torment.
Isn’t it worth it child of God to accept whatever God brings into your life if you can have a part in winning just one soul to God?
Simplemeditations 