God had installed Ezekiel as his messenger to Israel (whenever Israel is mentioned here it is referring to the remnant of Israel, which was Judah). God knew that many of the exiles would not listen to Ezekiel and would even oppose Ezekiel vehemently for his message, but God did not want Ezekiel to be deterred by that. Ezekiel was responsible for delivering the message but not the outcome. How people received Ezekiel’s message was their responsibility. This is an important point for us, since we are called to be messengers too. Many Christians immediately feel daunted at the idea of being messengers, but that is only because they misunderstand the task. God calls us to be witnesses to his grace, which means, primarily, that we simply need to be open about our faith. You don’t have to try to convince people. You don’t even have to have any great amount of theological knowledge. You just need to be willing to share what you do know and how you came to know it. That is what it means to share the message. It means sharing what you have. The smallest glint of light can be a powerful thing. But success is by no means guaranteed. If people remain resistant to the message, do not be discouraged. Always try to reflect on how you can be a better witness, but don’t let people’s rejection deter you. Remain open even if they are closed.
Ask God to give you clear opportunities today to represent his message of love and grace to others.
Read Ezekiel 3:16-27
