Good morning, all! I am currently studying the book of Ezekiel and chapter 2 brought such encouragement to me today.

Vs. 3-7 Then He said to me, "Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to a rebellious people who have rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. I am sending you to them who are stubborn and obstinate children, and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God.' As for them, whether they listen or not - for they are a rebellious house - they will know that a prophet has been among them. And you, son of man, neither fear them nor fear their words, though thistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions; neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house. But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious."

Oh, what a struggle this is for me.

There are two issues here for me:
#1 When I think someone is totally against God, I tend to not share my faith with them in fear of their response.

#2 I get so easily frustrated with people when I share God's truth with them and they do not accept what I am telling them. I feel like a complete failure.

So, this lesson teaches me:

#1 God called Ezekiel to share His Word with totally rebellious people - telling him, "neither fear them nor their words".

#2 God called Ezekiel to share His Word to these totally rebellious people, "whether they listen or not"

My success or failure isn't in how people respond to me but how I respond to God. In each situation I need to ask myself, "am I obeying God?", if the answer is yes then I can be confident that the rest is in His hands.

These sweet truths bring joy to my heart and tears to my eyes. I am selling God short when I decide when I will share Him with others and when I won't. That is not my choice to make.

Lord, forgive me for fearing rejection and failure - forgive me for keeping You to myself when it is my job to share You with the world. I pray for your strength to tell others about You whether they listen or not, so I may fulfill my calling in You. Amen

Have a great day

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie