No Matter What

Ez 3:10,11 "Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears. And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,' whether they hear, or whether they refuse." ESV

 

So here it is. God told Ezekiel to stand on his feet and he would speak to him. When Ezekiel heard from God he was to do two things: Receive the words into his heart and tell his people the things that God told him. God didn't just want this to be a mental exercise for Ezekiel. He wanted this to be something that Ezekiel internalized. Something that changed him from the inside.

 

That is huge. I can sit here and read the Bible and write about all kinds of stuff, but if it doesn't impact me, if it does not change me, if I don't receive the words into my heart, then I am just going through motions. I may think that I am accomplishing something, I am putting my time in with God, but if there is no impact in my life, I should just read the newspaper and forget about it. This is what James talks about when he says that we need to be doers of the word and not just hearers. I have to internalize it. It has to make a change on the inside so that it impacts what I do on the outside. If God is willing to share His heart with me, then my heart needs to be changed.

 

The one thing that God asked Ezekiel to do when he received the words into his heart was to take what God had taught him and tell his people, no matter what. Speak it. Tell it. Share it. Give it. These people were captives. They needed to hear from God and Ezekiel was the son of man, the normal guy who was to tell them. The thing is, when we tell someone something we would like it to have some impact. And if what we are telling them is something that we believe came from the Lord, we really want them to hear it so it can change their lives as well. This was not going to happen with Ezekiel. He was going to tell his people what God said and they were going to ignore it. He was going to talk to brick walls. It was going to be futile…but he was to tell them anyway.

 

This is a challenge for me. Sometimes I look at people and think "What's the use? They are not going to listen." It doesn't matter. Tell them anyway. This happens with sharing the Gospel, and unfortunately, it also happens when I have an opportunity to share with other believers. Sometimes, many times it falls on deaf ears. God says: "So what? Do it anyway. Share the truth anyway. Give what I have given to you anyway."

 

So God today, this week, let me share what you teach me with others. Give me the words to say. Let me open my mouth. No matter what.