by Danny Woodall

dannywoodall@yahoo.com 

And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain. (Ezekiel 8:4)

I remember when I was in college; there was a book in the campus bookstore, which claimed that the prophet Ezekiel saw a spaceship. To someone that believes in aliens, instead of a supernatural God, I can see how they might come to that conclusion. In this crazy world, full of wild theories and speculations, it is good to know that we can depend on God. He won’t forsake us no matter what happens in the future. God is not just a good time God, but God is also with us when we feel like our world has come crashing down. The Bible is full of stories that tell how God has put together people’s lives after they feel like there was no hope. The prophet Ezekiel is one such story, it isn’t about flying saucers and aliens, it is about finding God in the barren places of our lives.

Ezekiel had plans of entering the priesthood. Faithfully he served God, waiting for the day he would take his role in the temple. Then the Babylonians crushed his dream. While he was preparing for the priesthood, he knew the enemy was outside of the walls of Jerusalem, but hoped that Israel would trust the Lord instead of political alliances with Egypt. It didn’t happen, soon the enemy soldiers crashed through the gates. Worst of all, Ezekiel found himself carried off to Babylon, Ezekiel probably thought all was lost, but God hadn’t forgotten Ezekiel and knew exactly what the would-be priest needed.

The vision that Ezekiel saw in chapter one, was an awesome display of the glory of God. Ezekiel saw how dominant God is; God is bigger and more powerful than anything, or anyone. God sees all, and understands all. Nothing gets by God. True the Babylonian army had stormed the streets of Jerusalem, but they are an instrument in God’s hands. Israel would pay for the times they turned their back on God. However the invaders would face judgment at the hand of God too. Israel still had a future; the Babylonians future was the dust bin of history. True Ezekiel was a long way from home and the temple destroyed. But Ezekiel was about to learn about trusting God. Faith doesn’t come in paint by numbers kit. Faith isn’t a detail blueprint of our lives given to us by God. Faith is trusting God when we can’t see where He is leading us.

Like Ezekiel, we sometimes we find ourselves in a bad situation that isn’t our fault. A spouse leaves, a parent doesn’t know how to handle the pressures of family life, or an employer has to close down, we find ourselves down and out because of circumstances beyond our control. What we need is to see what Ezekiel saw on the plains by the river. We need to see the glory of God. When we see Him in all of His glory and realize no matter how bad our situation may be, all we have to do is trust Him. We will find that God is bigger than any spouse, parent, or any problem we may have.

In many ways, those ancient wind-swept plains of Babylon still impact us today. Like Ezekiel, you have a choice, to live in defeat, a victim of circumstances you can’t control pushed around by the whim of public opinion, or letting God touch your life and make you whole again. No matter what your situation is, God still has a plan for your life. God specializes in putting broken lives back together.

Copyright Danny Woodall