July 3, 2022 - Ezekiel 1-6

The Lord sends Ezekiel to a people unwilling to listen and whose heads and hearts are hard as hard stone (3:7). But as hard as the people will be, the Lord will make his prophet even harder so that he can stand and deliver the word of God: “’Behold, I have made your face as hard as their foreheads. Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.’ Moreover, he said to me, ‘Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. And go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord God, whether they hear or refuse to hear’ (3:8-11).

Sometimes, it’s hard to be bold. Even the prophets flinched from time to time, but over time, they stood and spoke what God gave to them. I have been bold and I have been anything but bold. Sometimes courageous, sometimes fearful. Sometimes faithful, sometimes unfaithful. But I want, I sincerely want, to be bold and courageous and faithful for the Lord. And to speak whether or not people hear. “Lord, make me like that!”

Stand up, stand up for Jesus

ye soldiers of the cross;

lift high his royal banner,

it must not suffer loss.

From vict’ry unto vict'ry

his army he shall lead

till ev’ry foe is vanquished

and Christ is Lord indeed. -- George Duffield (1858)