Who wants to be a prophet?

Ezekiel 3:1-27

Who would want to be a prophet anyway? The idea of foretelling future events and knowing deep and hidden truths behind the mysteries of God sound like really cool perks to the job description. I could see Ezekiel, being asked to lay on his side for over a year while eating the same poor bread and a little bit of water each day, that he didn't see that in the job description when he signed up to become a prophet.

Truth is, we don't sign up. We are called. For whatever the Almighty has in store for us, He has a plan and a calling. For some it may be grand. If you watch Soul Surfer, Bethany Hamilton's youth group director moved to Hawai'i because she felt called to ministry there. Wouldn't it be lovely if we were all called to ministry in Hawai'i? But some believers are called to be Ezekiels in varying degrees.

His diet and lifestyle was to be an example to reach out to the hard-hearted countrymen who rebelled against God. I recently went on the Daniel Fast, eating nothing but raw organic fruits, vegetables, rice, nuts, and water for three weeks. I thought that was rough, try Ezekiel's fast! And the bread was cooked over cow dung (only by God's mercy to acquiesce to Ezekiel's plea that it not be cooked over human fecal matter.) That's just plain gross!

Did Ezekiel have a choice? We all have a choice. The thing about destiny is that we choose it. Ezekiel went on to do great things, even resuscitating a child back to life. He is counted a hero among the Biblical heroes. And he went boldly as a watchman who did exactly as God has asked to reach a stubborn people.

It is my prayer that I, and my fellow believers, would be so obedient. That we would say yes to God's calling. I live in America, a country that seems all too familiar with the nation of Israel as it turned its back on God. We may need a few Ezekiels. But am I willing to say yes to such a call? I'd like to think, yes.By the grace of God that through Jesus Christ, prophecy is now bound under the Gospel, and we must always remember no matter how hard our calling is, we bring good news of the Messiah with us. Let our creed be "May the Lamb who was slain receive the reward for His suffering!" Amen.

For information about my Christmas novel about the original Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, a devout Christian who gave for the glory of God, visit www.nicholasthenovel.com
For more devotionals/sermonettes visit my blog at codywurban.wordpress.com

Created 9 months ago