It's not show and tell, but know and tell. And, it's the prescribed plan for you and I as much as it was for a man in ancient times.
"He said to me, 'Son of man, take into your heart all My words which I will speak to you and listen closely. Go to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.' " (Ezekiel 3.10-11)
Here is a great formula for every follower of Yahweh God, and His Son. It is imperative that we take into our hearts "My words which I will speak to you and listen closely." We have nothing of significance to show or tell anyone if we have not carefully integrated God's word into our lives. It's of utmost importance hat we get in to His word, and let His word get in to us. But, that's not an end in itself. As with Ezekiel, we are commissioned to "Go to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.' " We take His word, first of all, to the rest of the family of God, to encourage, challenge, and stimulate. His word becomes witness, whether it is received or not.
I'll let you in on a little secret: these daily writings are somewhat self-serving. You see, they begin with what God's word has said to me, and these writings are a means of reinforcing that message. If you benefit, then there is a double blessing. But, they begin with the basic question, "What did His word say to me today?" From there, the challenge is somewhat like Ezekiel's: "Go to the exiles ..." And, in essence, every believer is an "exile" in this age, awaiting the liberation of the age to come.
So, Ezekiel's call and challenge is really the same for all of us: what has God said, and what does God have for us to say to His "exiles"? Basically, that message is that we live as close to His word as possible, and faithfully use it to benefit His family. The apostle Paul summed it up well:
"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Our most profitable pursuit this day will involve God's word in our life, and in the lives of His people. So, let's make it specific and tangible: What is one key truth He desires to impress upon you? And, what is one specific task He has for you concerning His word and His people? By grappling with these two key questions, we will have made good progress in obedience this day.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2012
"He said to me, 'Son of man, take into your heart all My words which I will speak to you and listen closely. Go to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.' " (Ezekiel 3.10-11)
Here is a great formula for every follower of Yahweh God, and His Son. It is imperative that we take into our hearts "My words which I will speak to you and listen closely." We have nothing of significance to show or tell anyone if we have not carefully integrated God's word into our lives. It's of utmost importance hat we get in to His word, and let His word get in to us. But, that's not an end in itself. As with Ezekiel, we are commissioned to "Go to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.' " We take His word, first of all, to the rest of the family of God, to encourage, challenge, and stimulate. His word becomes witness, whether it is received or not.
I'll let you in on a little secret: these daily writings are somewhat self-serving. You see, they begin with what God's word has said to me, and these writings are a means of reinforcing that message. If you benefit, then there is a double blessing. But, they begin with the basic question, "What did His word say to me today?" From there, the challenge is somewhat like Ezekiel's: "Go to the exiles ..." And, in essence, every believer is an "exile" in this age, awaiting the liberation of the age to come.
So, Ezekiel's call and challenge is really the same for all of us: what has God said, and what does God have for us to say to His "exiles"? Basically, that message is that we live as close to His word as possible, and faithfully use it to benefit His family. The apostle Paul summed it up well:
"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Our most profitable pursuit this day will involve God's word in our life, and in the lives of His people. So, let's make it specific and tangible: What is one key truth He desires to impress upon you? And, what is one specific task He has for you concerning His word and His people? By grappling with these two key questions, we will have made good progress in obedience this day.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2012
posted by steve @ 9:11 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home