Laity Sunday 3

Ezekiel 3:1-4

For my first year working at Origin, a consulting firm, I did corporate training – traveling to various client site locations and training groups of employees on how to operate specific software applications. Gosh, that sounds impressive when I type that.

It boils down to being the teacher of adults on how to work their computer. I wasn’t hired because I knew all the software. I was hired because I knew how to teach. Origin fed me the information, and I presented it to the students.

Like Jeremiah (and Isaiah and others) Ezekiel is called by God to spread God’s word – to be in ministry for God. What does God give him? Why do you think the scroll tasted sweet as honey? What is God’s final command in verse 4?

Ezekiel is described as a priest (Ezekiel 1:3), rather than a prophet (like Jeremiah and Isaiah). Yet Ezekiel is still not simply sent into the world without first being equipped. This priest is being sent to Israel with a message from God. Ezekiel is not left to his own devices or imagination. Instead, God literally gives him words to chew on, a message to digest.

God has filled this prophet with the words that need to be communicated. Ezekiel has internalized what God has given him and will carry the message to God’s people.

God calls all of us to serve Him in some way. It can be intimidating. It can be scary. And one of the greatest fears is worrying about whether or not you have the skills necessary and the right message.

We need to remember that God calls us because He knows we can do what He has called us to do. We need to remember that God is with us when we obey Him. And finally, we need to remember that God supplies us with the message.

We should not be preaching and teaching our own views and ideas. We need to be preaching God’s Word, and that is found in the Bible. But like Ezekiel, we may need to chew on these words, digest them, internalize them, and understand them before we go off preaching.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Which message from God has been the hardest for you to “chew on?” What can you do to increase your understanding?

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