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| Photo courtesy of keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk |
I am smack-dab in the middle of Ezekiel right now in my Bible reading plan. It is a wild ride. It is one of those books from which I have heard or read just bits and pieces, and now it is so refreshing (and enlightening) to read it as one whole book from start to finish. I can recall singing an old spiritual in my college church choir about "whirling wheels within wheels" and having NO IDEA what we were singing about--and I had grown up in the church (in multiple denominations) and had NEVER heard of this vision from the book of Ezekiel! Sad. So often, books like these are skipped over in our pulpits because (in my humble opinion) they are a) weird b) difficult to interpret or c)seemingly pointless to modern-day life.
But oh...what treasures we miss when we do this, dear friend!
I can honestly tell you that as a mother of three small children, I live out the book of Ezekiel every.single.day.
What?!
You see, in my attempts to teach my little ones the truths of Scripture--to tell them about God's love for them and to show them what God is telling us in His Word--I am walking in the call as a modern-day Ezekiel each and every day. Ezekiel was called by God to speak truth to the Jewish exiles so they would repent from their sin and be reconciled to God. And his was a peculiar mission because the Lord did not call him to merely TELL the people the truth, but to SHOW IT using sign-acts. Whether he was lying on his side for months at a time, eating meat cooked over burning excrement, cutting/weighing/burning/scattering his hair...I could go on and on...it was all to tell/show his people about God and His impending judgement and urge them to repent.
Now, let me ask you...is that not what we are called to do as Christian parents with our children??
Whether it is freaking out whenever we see a water tower, gathering everyone outside to appreciate a rainbow in the sky, stuffing every crevice of our house with acorns, or giving them a hammer and a mirror to demonstrate God's law...at this stage of the game, it is all about SHOWING them in tangible (and sometimes unusual) ways who God is and what His Word says...under His guidance...and for His glory.
And this is our responsibility in a lost world, especially with our own people and our own children. God warns Ezekiel about the gravity of this responsibility:
"If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul." (Ezekiel 3:18-19)
We live in an audio-visual world, and we serve an audio-visual God, who is calling audio-visual Christians to get real with their kids and preach, teach, and model Biblical TRUTH to them on a day-to-day, moment-by-moment basis. Even if this means sacrifice of time, resources, energy...and some reservedness and self-respect....
And like the Israelite people were with Ezekiel, my kids often think I am NUTS...a lot of the time.
But, oh, how that is so GOOD.
Because, dear one, if we are not acting a fool for God in order to educate, enable, and equip our children to love and serve Him...then really, what is the point? They can be organically fed, well-educated, Ivy-League-college aspiring, "uber" athletic, and moral little young people...and miss the ENTIRE message of the gospel and remain dead in their sin their whole lives long.
I don't want that. And I trust you don't either.
So today, Mom (or Dad)...roll up your sleeves (or shave your head!) and get a little "CRA-CRA" (that is "crazy" for those unfamiliar with the online slang dictionary) as you teach and SHOW your kids what God has done for you...for them...in Christ.
Ezekiel did and was proven faithful.
And I want all of us to be, too.
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