Ezekiel Chapter 24: Verse 18 (NLT)
So I proclaimed this to the people the next morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning, I did everything I had been told to do.
Ezekiel Chapter 24: Verse 24 (NLT)
Ezekiel is an example for you; you will do just as he has done. And when that time comes, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.”
Ezekiel did not have an easy ministry but he remained faithful and obedient to God in all that he did. His wife is described earlier in this chapter as the light of his eyes, so the loss he suffered was immense. But in spite of even this, he did as God had told him to and did not wallow in his grief. Subsequently we see that God held him as an example to the people.
That’s a hard thing challenge for us. When we go through difficult times, particularly those of loss and grief, we may question why God has allowed this to happen. But do we still have enough faith and trust in God to continue our Christian walk if He chooses not to tell us why He has allowed us to go through this time. But if people know we are a Christian they may well be looking at the way we respond, and God may well be using our conduct as an example to others. The one thing that we can be sure of is that God will never allow us to go through it alone. We have the Holy Spirit within us, and Jesus Himself told us that the Holy Spirit would be our comforter.
Dear Lord,
I have often found inspiration from the example of other Christians and in particular the way the continue to serve and worship You in times of adversity. Help me to be faithful to You in the difficult times as well as the good ones that I may also be an example to others. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.