Reading
SAA Notes
In the midst of doing God’s will in ministry, Ezekiel’s wife suddenly dies. Ezekiel has the Spirit of Christ and gives His reply: Your will be done! May God use our deaths as well as our lives for the supreme good of those we love!
SJA Notes
* God Above, Your word is true. Please help us see truth from it today.
“Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down.”
Here is a very hard word and event from the Lord for Ezekiel, and for us.
Ezekiel’s wife dies. The love of his life.
God told Ezekiel beforehand that it would happen, and very clearly that it was His doing.
We read through the passage and see that this terrible personal event is to be a visible sign to the exiles of God’s will.
How do we understand this?
Is God playing horrible games with humanity, even more, with a faithful servant?
Does God take our loved ones from us such as He did Ezekiel?
As we wrestle with what this passage tells us, we are to keep in mind,
One. God does not play games. He is God, holy and just, faithful and steadfast in His love.
Two. God is sovereign. His will is absolute.
Three. God works good through bad. As He has from the beginning, so He continues to, working for the good of His people in this broken and full-of-evil world.
Four. Death is not the end for the believer, for the Jesus-follower.
Five. We need Jesus to make sense of all that happens in life.
Jesus tells us that to know God the Father we must know Him, God the Son.
Do we know Jesus today?
* Father God,
We cry to You for our loved ones, those who are not found in Christ, in You, those who are outside the camp.
Thank You that You went outside the camp to save us.
Please save those around us Lord God, please chase them down and cause repentance and belief in their hearts.
Please show us all Jesus.
Amen.