And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.

Ezekiel 2:7 (ESV)

David’s Wednesday Word:

As a father, I deeply loved my youngest daughter. But she could also be a bit frustrating. Her bedroom was always a mess. It seemed that nothing I said—whether encouraging, challenging, or even threatening—made much difference when it came to keeping her room straight.

I remember getting to the point of thinking, “Why should I even say anything?”

This is the daughter we lost in a car accident over 13 years ago. One of our last experiences involved cleaning up the mess of the room she was living in at the time.

Oh, how I miss her mess.

The words of the prophet Ezekiel were also often met with hardened ears. He was an exile in Babylon. Jerusalem was moving toward destruction, and God gave him the difficult task of warning the people about their sin.

The interesting thing is that God commissioned Ezekiel to speak, while also making it clear that the people might—or might not—listen.

Regardless, Ezekiel was to speak the words.

I don’t know about you, but I like results! I wanted my daughter to have a clean room. I am sure Ezekiel wanted his words to influence the people.

Yet God made something very clear: there might be no visible results.

Speak. Be faithful. That is enough.

Why? Because the people were rebellious.

I think we face something similar today. Many people ignore God. Some openly reject Him. Others simply do not want to live as though they are accountable to a Creator.

But just like Ezekiel, I am still called to speak truth.

I should speak with love, but I should speak.

What I cannot do is make anyone listen. I cannot make anyone believe. I cannot make anyone decide to follow Jesus.

So what can I do?

I can faithfully speak without demanding results.

That can be hard. But as I live my life with God, faithfulness means doing what He calls me to do rather than measuring success by whether others respond the way I hope.

My responsibility is faithfulness.

The results belong to God.

Prayer: Almighty God, sometimes I grow tired of speaking truth when it seems that no one is listening or even cares. But I commit myself to being faithful to Your calling. I am Your servant. I submit to You and will lovingly share Your truth with others, whether they hear or refuse to hear.

— David Beauchamp
Temporary Ministries

For more Wednesday Words and other resources from Temporary Ministries, visit:
https://temporaryministries.org/wednesday-words/