Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the LORD!’ – Ezekiel 13:2

Today's Scripture Reading (May 8, 2020): Ezekiel 13

Recently, I had a conversation with a colleague of mine over this blog. His question, which was an excellent one, was if the blog had helped the church that I pastor. I have to admit that I am not even sure how many people who attend my church bother to read these words. Maybe they hear too much from me on Sunday mornings. My audience seems to come from those who are a little farther away. The original purpose of the blog was to connect my friends with the Bible, to encourage them to read and think, maybe a little outside the box, about what God's Word said to them, and the impact that the Bible should be making in our daily lives. And so, I have written a daily post for the past eleven and a half years (my first post was written on January 1, 2009).

But the real value of this blog probably isn't for those who read it, but for the one who writes it. As a pastor and a speaker, it is easy to narrow my biblical focus onto what it is that I am planning to speak about in the immediate days and weeks that lie in front of me. If you are wondering, in two short days (May 10, 2020) I will be speaking from John 14, and not Ezekiel. In fact, there is not one message from Ezekiel in the foreseeable future, unless something changes. And that is the true value of this blog. It forces me to get out of my speaking rotation and just consider what the Bible says; all of it from Genesis to Revelation. And, often, it surprises me.

I am increasingly convinced that as teachers of the Bible, we are missing the mark. We speak out of our fears, and out of our desires, more than from the Word of God. We make sure that our messages match those of others without even questioning whether or not they might be right. I am convinced that much of what we hear comes from our culture, rather than from the Bible. We teach what seems right to us, rather than what seems right to God. And I am no exception. So, on a daily basis, my practice has been to take a deep dive into something and consider what it is that God might be saying, and mostly, what he might be saying to me.

So, God's words to Ezekiel that I read today hit home. I don't want to prophesy out of my imagination, or out of my fears. Every day as I sit down with a passage, I am desperate to hear from God. And it is not what does God wants me to say to you. It is what does God need me to hear from him. You just get to come along for the ride.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 14