A Messenger – July 6, 2022 – WELS

Then he said to me: “Son of man, eat this scroll that I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.
Ezekiel 3:3

A messenger

Remember that kid in kindergarten who put everything in his mouth, including paper? were you the kid It seemed like a pretty silly thing, even for a five year old. Imagine how silly it would be for a grown adult to eat a piece of paper!

And yet, in a vision, God asked the prophet Ezekiel to do just that. “Eat this scroll . . . Fill your stomach with it.” How strange. What was God’s purpose? His point was that in order to be His messenger, the Lord first wants His messengers to be fed. Feed before lead.

There are at least two reasons for God’s command. First, out of concern for his listeners. One of the buzzwords in church life today is “authentic”. People aren’t looking for a “do what I say, don’t do what I do” messenger. Unless it is “real” to you, you will probably have little to no interest in finding out if the gospel message may be of interest to you.

But it’s not just for the potential audience. It also benefits the messenger. As we digest God’s Word with ourselves as listeners in mind, we quickly realize that the good news of Jesus is not just for others. It’s for you and me

Whether it is God’s righteous law or healing gospel, God’s word will be sweet to the messenger because we know it is his word that always fulfills the purpose for which he sent it. Enjoy the sweetness of God’s Word.

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, I often read the Bible as an academic exercise or as something else on my to-do list. Help me enjoy the sweetness of every word. Amen.