They Hear Your Words

(Ezekiel 33-36)

Today's reading jumped off the pages as Ezekiel begins to give prophecy about the restoration of Israel. I am sure that this was a sweet message to a captive people in foreign lands. In the midst of this message of hope for Israel is found a message for each of us as well. Surely we can hold onto the idea that on our worst days, God is there. When we have been taken captive by our desires in this world, God is there. We are never too far for His hand to reach us, to pull us from the stormy seas of personal failures. That is a message that we all need and can all relate to.
However, it is not all joy and celebration. God tells it like it is. He calls out the leaders for not caring for the people in Ezk. 34:1-10. He tells them that He will hold them accountable for His flock. Leaders have great responsibility and will be judged for their faithfulness to the body of Christ.  He tells the individuals that they will be judged for their own conduct in Ezk. 34:17-19. Regardless of how the leaders acted, each person is still responsible for their own actions.

Then there are a few verses that really hit home with me....

"My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice."
(Ezk 33:31,32)

Sound familiar? The same things we struggle with, God's people thousands of years ago struggled with also. They came to hear a great message and great singing. They said the right things in the right way, but in the end it was all just a show. They weren't changed by the experience. The words did not affect their lives. They left no different than they arrived.
Did the preacher make me laugh? Did he keep my attention? Did we sing my favorite songs? Was the Powerpoint presentation entertaining? Did we go over our time limit? If we are not careful, we leave without taking anything with us. We hear God's word, but we do not make application. Two days later, we don't remember the subject. We don't put His words into practice and they don't become part of who we are.
Our time together is about God. We will enjoy it if our focus is on Him. We will complain if our focus is on us. That is human nature. May we make every effort to listen to His word and make changes needed in our lives. May we determine to assemble to offer worship to the One that is worthy of our praise. With the right attitude, every lesson will be awesome, every song a joy and every prayer will be uplifting. Just remember.... it is about Him!