by: Dr. Allen Domelle
Ezekiel 1:28
“As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.”
At the very beginning of Ezekiel’s ministry, it is evident that he saw God. It is important for one who is in the ministry to see God if they want to continue to serve Him until the day of their death. We often think of the ministry for those who are serving God full-time, but every Christian should be involved in the ministry. If you are going to serve the LORD your whole life, you need to see God as Ezekiel saw Him. Four things became real to Ezekiel when he saw God.
First, when you see God, you will see that He is a God Who is near. Ezekiel was able to define God’s presence in the verse above because He was near. It is important to keep in mind that God is always near. He is a God Who is ever present. Psalm 46:1 reminds us, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” He is near to help in time of need, but His presence should always keep you doing what is right. Don’t ever get to the point in your Christian life when you feel God doesn’t see what you are doing. His presence is always near.
Second, when you see God, you will see He is faithful to His Word. God’s presence in the verse above was “As the appearance of the bow…” The bow is the rainbow that God placed in the sky to remind us that He always keeps His promises. When serving the LORD, there are going to come times when you must rely on God’s faithfulness to His Word. If God promised that He was going to do something, you are going to have to trust that He always keeps His promises. Always remember that God’s promises are a guarantee that He will follow through on what He said.
Third, when you see God, you will see that He is committed to His children. Where did Ezekiel see God? He saw Him “in the cloud in the day of rain.” Christian, your life may be in the rain clouds of life, but rest assured that God is in the cloud. You may not see where you are going, but He knows where you are going because He is greater than the cloud. When the clouds of life gather and the rains of trials never seem to stop pouring, you can always be assured that God is with you in the clouds.
Fourth, when you see God, you will see He is eternally righteous. When Ezekiel tried to explain God’s likeness, all he could say about it was that it was like “the appearance of the brightness round about.” That brightness that Ezekiel saw was “the likeness of the glory of the LORD.” When Ezekiel saw God’s righteousness, all he could do was fall on his face. The only thing that will help you to influence lives in the ministry is to keep your eyes on God. The very moment you take your eyes off God is the moment when God’s power leaves your life. The only thing that allows you to have God’s power is when you point people to God. His presence brings conviction. We often talk about the need for the power of God, but His power is a result of His presence in your life. You will find when you are not concerned about yourself, and your only concern is staying focused on the presence of God, it is then that you will have His power on your life and ministry. Conviction and changed lives are the result of God’s power on your life.