Look Up!
As the dawn began to break today, after a long night of uncertainty that seems to linger, I began to think about a very important man. He was never prominent politically nor ran for office, but he left us an invaluable example of what to do when surrounded by an unknown and potentially, precarious future.
The man I speak of is Ezekiel the Prophet. His name in the ancient Hebrew means, “God will strengthen”.
He is introduced to us in the first chapter of the Book of Ezekiel as a Priest of Israel who is now a captive, shackled with other Jewish captives, far from his beloved Israel, beside a river in the land of his mortal enemies, the Babylonians.
The Psalmist David had prophesied in Psalms 137 of this time in Israel’s future, when they would sit as captives by the rivers of Babylon and weep for the loss of all that meant anything to them. As they thought of their uncertain future, with their harps, silent and unplayed, hanging on willow trees by the river, their captors would harass and mock them and say, “Now sing us the songs of Zion”. These poor people would answer, “How can we sing the songs of God in a strange land?” But not so with Ezekiel.
Ezekiel is also among these captives…he also is in shackles beside Babylonian rivers and hears the jeers of his captors and faces uncertain times ahead, but Ezekiel is looking up… not around. Ezekiel says in Ezekiel chapter 1,verse 1, “that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.” Ezekiel saw the Master of his future, the Father of all mercies whose loving kindness is better than all other things for it conquers all circumstances.
Well folks….uncertainty truly abounds… but I have decided to look up. Sin abounds….but grace does much more abound. God can still, “Cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
II Corinthians 10:5
Ezekiel got it exactly right….look up.
World Missions Director- David M. Griffis
