SOAP 12/12/2016; Ezekiel 3:8

Today's reading: Hebrews 5, 6, 7, 8*

S) "⁸ Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads."

Ezekiel 3:8 (NASB)
*This verse was highlighted before I kept these entries online, so I wrote a new entry

O) Very much like the prophet Jeremiah, Ezekiel was told to take the words of God to a people unlikely to repent. They had become a very hard people, hard of heart and heard of head. They would not accept rebuke or change well, if it all, and Ezekiel had a very difficult task ahead of him. However, in this chapter, he is given the words of God to eat (with much symbolism in itself), and he's sent to his own people to preach. God makes it very clear, the issue won't be one of understanding language. They should understand, but they won't (vv.6-7). But, in the verse above, we see a provision of God, a promise to Ezekiel that he will be hard enough to handle their hardness. They will butt heads, but he will not break.

A) While I may never be called to rebuke the religious or political leaders of my land, ministry is always hard. Even my primary ministries aren't exactly easy (although they are labors of love, to be sure). Parenting correctly is often difficult, and leading my wife (although she does so much to be easy to lead), even that kind of ministry can have its own unique challenges. However, I can rest assured that God gives me everything I need to perform what He has asked me to do. I wouldn't call my family obstinate people (although, I don't have teenagers, yet), but if I need to have a firm head about anything, I can count on God giving it to me. If I need to have a soft heart, I will count on Him softening me. Whatever He needs me to be, to minister to my family, I will rely on His change in me, to accomplish His will for them. This extends to any other kind of ministry I could ever pursue. The two main keys are these: I must seek to be doing His will, and I must submit to His changes in me to accomplish His will.

P) Father, thank You for being in my corner. You are for me, and because of that I have all confidence that what I am called to do, You will equip me to do. Whatever I need to be, in order to accomplish Your will, You can and will make me to be. Start Your changes with me, Lord, that I may be used by You, for Your glory. Let Your kingdom come and Your will be done, in my own household, in my city, in my country, on earth as it is in heaven. Make me usable in Your hands, Lord. Use me to accomplish Your will, according to Your will. Be glorified above all else. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.