I Am Blessed

We live in a nation where the ‘good things in life’ are plentiful. Most of us always have more than enough to eat, we have nice new clothes, we have nice houses to live in, we shop freely for ourselves and buy nice gifts for others, and we go on nice vacations traveling the world. We consider ourselves blessed by God – until something disrupts our wonderful lives. We have this notion that if we read our Bibles, pray, go to church on Sundays, and treat others well, these ‘good things in life’ that we call blessings will continue.

So when difficult things come into our lives – sickness, loss of job, death of a loved one – we become confused. I wonder if it is time to back up and redefine what it means to be blessed by God. Or maybe we need to back up even further and look at our ‘cause and effect’ notion that if we behave in a certain way, God will behave in a certain way.

Ezekiel had been walking with God – making himself available to God to be used as a prophet. Yet, in chapter 24, we find Ezekiel going through a very difficult circumstance – the death of his wife. And God is using that death to teach the Jewish nation how shallow their faith is. God lets Ezekiel know that he is “about to take away from you the delight of your eyes.” Ezekiel 24:16 And he tells Ezekiel, “Groan quietly, do not mourn for the dead.” Ezekiel 24:17 And I wonder, why would God take away the one who brings delight and joy to Ezekiel? Ezekiel is his servant who is consistently doing what God asks of him.

God spoke through Ezekiel, “Say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary – the stronghold in which you take pride, the delight of your eyes, the object of your affection. The sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword. And you will do as I have done. You will not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners. You will keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or weep but will waste away because of your sins and groan among yourselves. Ezekiel will be a sign to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.’” Ezekiel 24:21-24

I wonder if God is pointing to Ezekiel and saying to the people, “If something like this can happen to someone who walks closely with me, do you think you will be exempt? You are trusting in rituals and things rather than in me! Sit up and take note. Get your focus off of ‘the good life’ and put your eyes on me.” “So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 24:27

Over and over in Ezekiel, I see the phrase, “They will know that I am the Lord.” God wants a relationship with us – not a cause and effect (if you do this, I will do that), but a personal, daily interaction of God speaking into our daily circumstances. He can and will use the circumstances in our lives to keep drawing us and others into that relationship with him. As I groan inwardly with the loss in this life, I take note that I am changing and others are changing as they watch me. I am blessed, not by the riches in this life or the freedom from suffering, but by my personal relationship with the Lord and by observing others walking more closely with him as God speaks through my life and my circumstances.

To God be the glory!