The Lᴏʀᴅ’s counsel to Ezekiel is fitting for all of us who would walk with God:
It is not enough to simply hear the words of God but the meaning of those words, the very heart of God, must become part of our inner being. Being in communion with God or being used by God requires a life touched by Him all the way to our core. This is not a mere intellectual pursuit or an acquiring of information about God but it is a drawing close to who He is and who He wants to be in all that we are.
After the Lᴏʀᴅ encourages Ezekiel to ‘take into your heart all My words’ God then moves to the next part of Ezekiel’s life, the going to the exiles. Ezekiel is one of them, captive in Babylon, far from Judea, but having the heart after God’s words equips him for the task of speaking as a witness of what God has to say to His people. Ezekiel is not giving his opinion or his evaluation of the situation but is to convey the heart of God that has come into Ezekiel’s heart from God and will now be given to his fellow exiles.
The content, what is within Ezekiel, will help him no matter the response of the other exiles. His heart beats with God’s, he cares for the welfare of the exiles, but he understands that he can only be faithful in what God gives and can no more force the righteous response than God.
Are you standing with the word of God impressed upon your heart as you walk your journey before God? Will you stand with Him no matter the response of those around you? May you be blessed in Him forevermore.