Sit and Listen

O. T. #1855  "Sit and Listen"

January 7, 2021

LET IT GLOW

 Ezekiel sat silently for 7 days among the exiled Jews. He heard what they said and observed what they did. (God sent him there.) He sat where they sat and was astonished. Ezekiel was overwhelmed with grief for  the sins and misery of his people. During that time, God did not show him visions, nor did men visit him,. He was left to digest his grief before the Word of the Lord came to him. First, he needed to be humbled so God could be exulted. (Matthew Henry)

Stephen Covey wrote in his book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: He learned a valuable lesson of empathy as he observed rowdy and rambunctious children on a New York subway; He spoke to their father about their actions, not realizing their situation. They had come from the hospital just after their mother died. not knowing how to handle it.  His lesson learned that day was, seek to understand before seeking to be understood.

People may irritate or hut us because they are in pain. If they lash out at us, it is due to personal frustration. Let's look beyond their words and see their heart. Let's seek to understand before seeking to be understood. (David Jeremiah)

We often need to come down from our towers and walk a mile in someone else's shoes. Do we sit down with our friends and get down on their level? Do we try to see things from their perspective, the way they see it. Seven days was a long time to be feeling someone else's hurts. So, have we learned the fine art of compassion and empathy? Who needs us to sit where they sit this week? Are we ministering to the hurt and downtrodden this week? It's time for me to put some walk to my talk and do this more, sharing the love of Jesus by listening to the brokenhearted. Do we cry with them?

LET IT GROW

What job did God give to Ezekiel in verses 15-21? He was made a watchman unto the house of Israel. In the Hebrew language, the word watchman means to lean forward; to peer into the distance; to observe; await; look up. There are different kinds of watchmen-one who guards flocks against robbers and beasts; one who alerted a community of enemies approaching; ministers who guard their church flock against evil and pointing out their disobedience. What was Ezekiel's assignment? (Keep in mind that it was the idolatry of the Jews that caused them to be captives and removed from Jerusalem.)

• If Ezekiel did not warn the Jews that they were going to die in their sins, then God would hold him responsible.
• However, if he did warn them and they continued in disobedience and die in their sins, Ezekiel was not responsible.
• If a righteous man commits sins, he shall die; because he was not warned by the prophet, thus, his blood was required at the hand of Ezekiel.
• On the other hand, if the prophet warned the righteous man of his sin, and repents, then he shall live; Ezekiel had deliver his soul.

We don't fall from grace, loosing our salvation, since we are saved by grace through faith, not of works nor the law. A true believer in Jesus will not intentionally live in sin and deliberately practice sin. So, friend, we are held accountable for sharing the gospel good news to the lost.

LET IT GO

Learn to listen to the hurting.

Share the Word of God with them.

Listen with love.

Be compassionate to those who have failed; encouraging to those who are suffering because of their own doing sin.

Give it to Jesus. Let Him handle it. Take it out of our hands, Lord.