And the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you the desire of your eyes with a blow; but you shall not mourn and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not come. Groan silently; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban and put your shoes on your feet, and do not cover your mustache and do not eat the bread of men.”
So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded. Ezekiel 24:15-18
God used the death of Ezekiel’s wife as a sign to Israel. In this heartbreaking moment, Ezekiel was to represent God’s response to the death of his wife (Israel). He would be groan silently. How fascinating! God had given so many warnings and had endured such unfaithfulness from His people, that his response to their captivity would not be the normal outward mourning, but rather an inward groaning. Painful nonetheless, but not outwardly demonstrable.
Am I able to affiliate with God’s emotions the way that Ezekiel did? Can I really comprehend the smallest understanding of the heart of God and love? Does all this motivate me more to participate in His plan of salvation?
God, I really believe every interaction with people can be an eternity changing moment. Use me today to plant, water and harvest souls for eternity. I will groan inwardly for every loss.
