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. He then said to me, "Son of man, go now to the house of Israel and speak my words to them."
Ezekiel 3:3-4 NIV
Ezekiel received his call to be a prophet in 593 BC. He was carried captive with Jehoiachin to Chaldea, located north of Babylon. Much of his message is to comfort his brothers in captivity. He warns of Judah's demise and the tragedies that will fall upon the false prophets in Judah and upon Judah's neighboring nations.
Ezekiel also speaks a message of comfort, of future restoration, and future joy under the Messiah. Ezekiel points ahead to Christ, especially near the completion of his book.
Today's verse gives a task to Ezekiel and also to us. God does encourage us to digest His Word. A word that, in a sense, initially may provide indigestion; for there are many contrasts like: God's abundant, constant and active love of Israel and Israel's grumbling waywardness and disobedience of God. However, as one reads the Bible, if one considers the unchanging attributes of God and mankind's generally unappreciative, stiff necked, and rebellious nature to God; the words do become very sweet as God's true loving nature toward Israel is displayed.
We readers of the Bible, after tasting the sweetness of His Word, are tasked to lovingly tell the story to others in our midst and elsewhere. Our task of telling the story is carried out not with mere words alone, but in joyful response to the Word and Spirit's work on and in us, with loving actions. Remember, love is a verb, an action word. We do serve an awesome God.
How has spending daily time in God's Word changed your outlook, attitude, and perceptions?
How have you and/or where have you; shown this change, this love to others?
Pray for the Word and Spirit to show you how to apply God's Word, His Truth, to your daily life.
In Christ,
David P
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