Ezekiel 24:18-19 (NASBStr)
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. The people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things that you are doing mean for us?”
The life of the Man of God is not always filled with a great big church full of obedient people seeking hard after God and singing His praises faithfully. Sometimes the Man of God is used for a sign to the disobedient believer and is given a hard life to follow. Jeremiah spent as much time in the pit as he did in the Palace. Isaiah found the word of God faithful but the people not but preached faithfully to the end. In the above passage we see the Ezekiel is given a bitter role to play: His wife is going to be taken by God AND he is not allowed to mourn over that taking!! He is to be an example to the nation that God is about to take what they love (their freedom) and they are not to mourn about it, because it, too, is the will of God. In the case of the nation of Israel, they deserve to have their freedom taken for all the abominations they committed in the land. But, Ezekiel's wife did nothing. She and her husband had a greater calling than living their life out in retirement. They were created to be used as examples to the God's people to convey God's love and judgment. Think about that in regard to our modern ministry dynamics. We see "success" in the ministry as packed pews and glorious celebrations. When we see a Man of God struggling and having difficulty in their ministry we don't even think that maybe God is using this as an example to teach us something. God uses His people to fulfill His word. That might look exciting (like Solomon) but that might look dreary (like Ezekiel). Joseph's life was not a prize we would like to win, yet, he as exactly where God wanted him. Don't judge success on what you see, but on what God can do with what you see.
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