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Written by Dick Mills

"So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me" (Ezek. 3:14 NKJ).

This verse is an unusual blend of divine action and human response. Ezekiel was in captivity with the rest of the displaced tribes of Israel. He was known by many and had a lot of friends. Then he received an unusual visitation from the Lord that set him apart to be a prophet to the Jewish people in exile.

Ezekiel's call was great. He was given a scroll to eat (the Word of God) which was as sweet as honey in his mouth, (vv. 1-3). The Spirit of the Lord then lifted him up and gave him ecstatic revelations of God's glory. He received a direct commission to go and deliver God's message to his people.

This is the glorious side of his calling. But there is another side, and that is how Ezekiel as a human being responded to that call.

In Revelation 10:10, John took the book that was presented to him and ate it. It, too, was as sweet as honey in his mouth, but when it hit his stomach it became bitter.

Ezekiel had a beautiful relationship with the Lord, but had a difficult time speaking His message to a people who did not really want to hear what he had to say The bitterness of the message, the resistance of the suffering exiles, the difficulty of the task, and the drastic change it brought in the life of the prophet all took their toll.

An overpowering anointing gave Ezekiel the ability to go and speak. You have that same anointing upon your life. You are capable of doing the work of the Lord even though your soul and body may rebel at the idea.

Source: The Spirit-Filled Believer's Daily Devotional by Dick Mills
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers