Ultimately, all is GRACE
“Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
(Ezekiel 12: 1-2 NASB)
“Son of man, you live in the midst of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house.”
Imagine we are instructed to go upon a journey, to pack what we need, to drive to the airport, park, walk into the terminal, and take our boarding pass. Maybe we even to go as far as to walk through security, take off our shoes, take out our electronics, and walk through the scanner. Prepared for a journey—Yes, we are. Then we walk to our gate, take a seat in the designated area, and wait for the announcement to board.
As we enjoy the wait, we people watch (watching others without allowing them to know we are watching). We may listen to music, read, work on our computers, scroll social media, & even sleep.
We hear our boarding call.
We see others moving through the necessary entryway to board the plane.
Nevertheless, we remain seated, remain unwilling to move, remain stubborn to heed the call to move. & then
- We miss our plane!
We miss our opportunity to go & We miss out while others receive the blessing!
- God’s blessings do not come to us by happenstance.
- God’s blessings do not come to us by what we can accomplish.
- God’s blessings come to us through God’s Ultimate Grace!
The prophet Ezekiel knew he had a task to do, & he heard the instruction of the LORD in how his particular task was to be accomplished. Like him, we are so blessed in life because we have received:
- Food to eat—Clothing to wear.
- Friendships to enjoy—Laughter to share.
- Work for our hands to do—A moving body for our feet to carry.
- Children to hug & to love—Family to share our joys.
- God’s Word to read & glean the teachings needed to walk through this life.
These are the blessings from God!
These are the things that we desire; nevertheless, we are not always striving to recall from Whom we have received these things. Maybe it’s because we see these many gifts DAILY and become lackadaisical in our prayers of thanksgiving. Yet, strip ONE or even MORE away, and immediately, we sense the loss & immediately we call upon God through prayer.
Today, as I read of the account from the book of Ezekiel, I became fascinated how the LORD was going to use His prophet to tell the people of Israel what they needed to hear. God was going to instruct His people through His prophet, and God was going to have Ezekiel demonstrate it through an object lesson. Let’s pause to read God’s object lesson.
“So as for you, son of man, prepare yourself baggage for exile and go into exile by day in their sight; that is, go into exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house.
(Ezekiel 12: 3-7a NASB)
Bring your baggage out by day in their sight, as baggage for exile. Then you shall go out at evening in their sight, as those who are going into exile.
Dig a hole through the wall in their sight and go out through it.
Load the baggage on your shoulder in their sight and carry it out in the dark. You shall cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have set you as a sign in the house of Israel.”
Then I did so, just as I had been commanded. . . .”
In this life, we cannot control many of the things that happen to us; nonetheless, at other times we are in complete control, and allow sin to obstruct our view & to hinder our way. When sin enters our thinking (that’s the devil), when we allow the evil one to destroy that which the LORD has provided—then we are choosing the way of the devil rather than the way of the LORD.
Now, if this statement scares you as a child of God, then know you are in good company because it scares me too. I like to “think” that everything I do is carried out with God’s blessing because I belong to God, but that’s just not true! God leads us only toward goodness and never toward sin! Consider—
- Everything good comes from the LORD!
- Nothing evil comes from the LORD!
- Ultimately, all is GRACE!
God has given each one of us the ability to see Him & to hear Him through His Word. That’s how we came to know & to receive Him as our Savior. Once we are HIS, then we are placed on our journey home.
We have our boarding pass—JESUS’ shed blood covering our sins.
We have our preparations secure.
When the call comes to go, we merely need to step through the entryway into our eternity with the LORD.
NOT A SINGLE CHRISTIAN WOULD EVER SAY TO GOD, “I think I’ll just stay here rather than going home to heaven.” That’s just crazy thinking!
So—WHO’S GOING WITH US?
Who has the Holy Spirit led us to, who we have witnessed to, who has accepted Him as Savior, and received the merciful salvation of God?
WHO?!!!
We have a responsibility for what we do with the Word. That’s right; how we respond to the Word of God rests upon our shoulders. Every time the LORD provides His Word, we have two choices:
- Listen with our ears & see with our eyes what it is the LORD is teaching—
OR
- Ignore, turn the opposite way, deny ourselves the joy found in the LORD & follow the desires of our heart, living the life we desire to live, even though we realize how it hinders us from allowing God’s Word to flourish within us.
AND
- Oftentimes, even when we know what to do, what to say, how to go, where to walk, and even what to avoid because the Bible says so, we still allow the evil one to cause us to sin as we go our own way. The devil, Satan himself —always leads us opposite of the way the Holy Spirit is leading!
We have a responsibility for what we do with the Word.
- Everything good comes from the LORD!
- Nothing evil comes from the LORD!
- Ultimately, all is GRACE!
Let’s see what God’s prophet did with the LORD’S instruction.
“Then I did so, just as I had been commanded. By day I brought out my baggage like the baggage of an exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands; I went out in the dark and carried the baggage on my shoulder in their sight.
(Ezekiel 12: 7-11 & 28 NASB)
And in the morning the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
“Son of man, has the house of Israel, the rebellious house, not said to you, ‘What are you doing?’
Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘This pronouncement concerns the prince in Jerusalem as well as all the house of Israel who are in it.’
Say, ‘I am a sign to you. Just as I have done, so it will be done to them; they will go into exile, into captivity.’
. . .
“Therefore say to them, “This is what the LORD GOD says: ‘None of My words will be delayed any longer. Whatever word I speak will be performed.’ declares the Lord GOD.”
- God’s blessings do not come to us by happenstance.
- God’s blessings do not come to us by what we can accomplish.
- God’s blessings come to us through God’s Ultimate Grace!
Jesus Christ spoke an explanation for His parables.
“And the disciples came up and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
(Matthew 13: 10-13 NASB)
And Jesus answered them,
“To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them [those who are lost] it has not been granted.
For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.
Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.”
We have a task to do!
- We are to remember that Ultimately, all (we have received) is GRACE!
- We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus!
- We are commissioned to go & tell, so we must GO & TELL the world about our Savior Jesus!
- We are to witness to a people living in a dark world.
- We are to testify of a paradise, of an eternal place—even though we cannot see heaven with our physical eyes but with our spiritual eyes.
- We may not see the harvest of the seed that we have been given to sow, but that’s okay if we do not see the harvest here on earth. Someday, in heaven, we will!
- We are to get up & we are to do as we have been commanded by our Lord!
- More than anything, we are to remember: What God says He will do, HE WILL DO!