Lord, Help Me Do The Hard Things
Daily Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 22-25
Daily Focus Passage: Ezekiel 24
In Ezekiel 24, the Prophet received the command not to mourn over the upcoming death of his wife. The Prophet received the calling to endure a hardship that seemed impossible and natural. Yet, this passage teaches us about the difficulty of following the calling of the Lord, the hardships we may face as believers, and the hope that death is not the end for the child of God. In this difficult passage, may we see the hope in our ability to follow the Lord in faithfulness.
Ezekiel, the Prophet, was called upon by the Lord not to mourn or grieve the passing of his wife. This was meant to illustrate to the people that Ezekiel ministered to, highlighting the Lord's feelings towards the people and helping them recognize the state of their disobedience. The call from the guide meant that Ezekiel had to choose between obeying what was difficult or going against God's wishes. It is essential to understand that obeying the calling of God is often challenging as it requires us to overcome human logic and expectations. We must realize that God's calling serves a greater purpose and is not limited to our perspective but instead occurs in the eternal perspective of God.
Ezekiel, the Prophet, serves as a model for Christian suffering. Despite being a servant of the Lord, his life was not always perfect. He faced difficulties and hardships just like any other believer. His life shows us that as we navigate through difficult times, we must trust God's leading and remember He is with us. Sometimes, we face hardships because we have expectations that are not aligned with God's will. Ezekiel's life teaches us that both believers and unbelievers experience difficulties.
The death of Ezekiel's wife must show us that God's eternal perspective is different than our limited perspective.
God's eternal perspective gives us hope because we recognize there is more than death when a child of God experiences physical death. They enter into the full understanding of the spiritual life, thus occurring even through heartache.
Hope is there because we recognize the true value of life in the presence of God Almighty. Thus, death, though painful, is also filled with joy for those who seek the Lord, the reason that eternity is promised through a life in Christ.
Ezekiel could deal with the pain of the flesh because he trusted in the eternal perspective of God. As we consider this chapter in Ezekiel, we should recognize that following the Lord is difficult. We must acknowledge that God's plan is an eternal perspective; there is more to life than this.
