Ezekiel 3

After reading through Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Lamentations I am now on Ezekiel. I have actually really enjoyed reading the Old Testament more than ever before. There are some really amazing things from Gods heart that speak to mine. And I can see the deep need for Jesus to come and save them. We were in such a need for a savior!! The Israelites continued to be hard towards God and not change from their sin. I feel like I can relate to that and not listening to God and repenting. It is very sad to think about but God is so compassionate and does not give up. His love never ends and never fails. If we do sin though He will break us to use us for His glory! Sadly the Israelites did not repent no matter how God was sending to them so they were put into exile. 

In Lamentations we see how sad Jeremiah is and how the sin has hurt their country and the people. They finally are in desperation and many are dying. Jeremiah cries out to God to not forget them. He doesn't forget us, He just does things according to His will that will help us grow the most. Life with God is everything compared to not having Him on our side. He heals, He saves, He loves forever! Cry out to God to come and find us and heal us. 

Ezekiel is a prophet called upon by God living with the exiles. God wants Him to not fear the people or what they can do to him but to only fear God. This verse really stood out to me in my morning devotions today. And He said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” (Ezekiel 3:1 NIV). God commands Ezekiel to literally eat Gods words. To let them live inside of him. I think this is such a good picture of what our lives should be today! Consuming Gods words inside of us and letting Him speak inside of us and be dwelling in us and breathing Him out. God is 100% good and if He isn't 100% inside of us then satan is in there somewhere. Did Ezekiel think it was horrible to eat? Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. (Ezekiel 3:3 NIV). No! He loved it! He claims how good it is, God can literally satisfy all of our senses! 

Ezekiel is going to a people not where he has to overcome language barriers or things like that but hard hearts and pride. And those are sometimes the hardest things to overcome. Then Ezekiel gets filled with Gods spirit and sees the world from Gods way. He is lifted up and overcomes any fear he had before. 

Finally, So I got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. Then the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet. He spoke to me and said: “Go, shut yourself inside your house. (Ezekiel 3:23, 24 NIV). Ezekiel got to see Gods glory and feel it again! He again fell face down. We never will get sick of God or feel His glory to be less! Again and again we must fall at His presence and praise Him! We must ask Him to lead us and guide us!!! It's time to obey Gods commands and be the people of God we are supposed to be. Overcoming the hardships and not holding back! Keep pushing forward in Christ and let His spirit do ALL the work!