Inviting Revival: A Study of EzekielÀpẹrẹ

Discovering God’s will does not always prove to be easy. Often we question what God’s will is for our lives and how to discover when we are in it. Well, in the case of Ezekiel, God left no room for doubt. He called Ezekiel with a miraculous vision, then gave him specific instructions. Three things: fear not, receive God’s Word in your heart and hear it with your ears, and speak God’s Word to the people.

If you desperately desire for God to reveal His will for your life, pray through these commands of God. Are you harboring fear? God spoke specifically to Ezekiel about the fear of rejection. As someone with a PhD in people pleasing, I succumb to that fear all too readily myself! Have you issued God certain criteria for your life you expect Him to follow? Have you committed to regularly digesting God’s Word? If we want to hear God speak, following these three commands constitutes a great start.

God revealed His will to Ezekiel and following in obedience would be difficult. God hinted that the results might initially be minimal. Ezekiel responds in “bitterness of spirit” and in my own humanness, I imagine my response might sound something like this: Really, God? Isn’t it bad enough that I’ve already been exiled, taken far away from home, stuck here with no purpose or future, and now on top of it, God, You are asking me to do this?

God called Ezekiel to deliver His messages because His people stopped listening to God. Not an easy task. I’m sure some of us can relate. We have had someone in our lives who refused to listen to God, and their consequences spill over onto us and we feel like it’s unfair. We too may struggle with bitterness and wonder why we must suffer due to someone else’s sin or stupidity.

Want to witness the neon signs of God’s will? When it goes beyond our emotional ability to withstand it, our mental ability to conceive it, and our spiritual ability to desire it, it’s generally God’s idea. If what God calls us to doesn’t have a hint of hard, doesn’t ruffle our feathers or go beyond logical understanding, then we might be tempted to follow in our own flesh. Difficulty demands dependence and that’s where God sticks His servants– in places where we are desperate for His power to come through. We cannot ever expect to serve our Almighty God through feeble human wisdom or frail strength.

Sharing messages of Jesus’ salvation or demand for obedience might feel too hard or unfair. We might grow afraid of messing up or facing rejection. But it’s our calling. If you are languishing in spiritual dryness, go back through the three steps God outlined for Ezekiel. Those first three steps mark your road to revival!