Fairy Tale

Ezekiel 1:1, 25-28; 2:1-8

Whether they listen or fail to listen, they will know that a prophet has been among them. Do not be afraid. (Ezek. 2:56)

I CAN ALWAYS TELL when people are obeying God. They have that shiny glow around them, and if I listen closely, I hear harps playing in the background. The disobedient ones are easy to spot, as well they're the ones who meet difficulty and obstacles at every turn. Right? Well, no. But that's what many of us think. Too often, we feel that obedience to God will lead us into a charmed, fairy-tale life, complete with singing squirrels and tiny bluebirds assisting us with our wardrobes.We convince ourselves that if our lives are difficult, we must be doing something wrong. But that wasn't the case with Ezekiel. God warned Ezekiel that he was being sent to speak to rebellious people. The measure of Ezekiel's success, in God's eyes, wasn't the people's reactions, but whether or not Ezekiel was willing to follow orders. Like Ezekiel, we are living in a rebellious world. People reject our faith, they reject our God, and some of them are downright mean about it. Still, in obedience to God, we must continue to live out our faith. And we can know that, no matter what obstacles may appear before us, God is with us. He says to us what He said to Ezekiel: "Do not be afraid." And we know that our ending will be even better than a fairy tale.

Renae Brumbaugh

Ask God to give you courage to obey Him in a difficult situation.