Get real with God

Every day we’re asking four questions about part of the Bible. Today Bern Leckie answers:

What did I like about today’s passage?

Yesterday we looked at God’s words to Ezekiel about getting on the move, which God was doing because people could not stay as they were. Today I’m reminded that even if we know that God is moving, and we are ready to follow his lead, it’s vital to know what is really from God and not from our own imaginations. If we don’t, we’ll only get even more lost.

At this time in Israel’s history, God was clear to the few prophets who would truly listen to him that many other people appeared to be prophets but would only “follow their own spirit.” They were saying comforting words they and others wanted to hear, like “’Peace’, when there is no peace.” They would give a splendid coating of whitewash to a wall which needed structural rather than cosmetic work, and so their deception would lead to destruction.

God’s answer to this: get real! It would be painful to strip away the layers of false comfort, but important to see God for who he is. How else could people get past the self-deception of idolatry and start to accept strengthening from the real God who could help them to love?

I’m struck by how bits of this passage seem to come up again in Jesus’ words as he shows the reality of God in the flesh to follow. From Jesus’ time to ours and beyond, there would still be false prophets and God would still need to take down our structures to build new ones. This isn’t just about literal buildings, I think, but our false assumptions, bad practices and rotten attempts to please God with religion and tradition we think we understand but don’t.

Most of all, I’m struck by the contrast of fruitful life as Jesus offers in a living vine (John 15) instead of the useless thing described in Ezekiel 15. It’s true, vines are pretty rubbish as wood, even for fires. So why would Israel aspire to keep, grow and be vines? Why are they a Jewish symbol carved into the temple then and woven into fabrics today? It’s because of their fruit, which needs to be grown with skill and patience to make decent wine. God isn’t telling Ezekiel that vines are rubbish but that his people are unfruitful, not in terms of numbers of people but quality of life. God would need to do some gardening to fix that.

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

I’m reminded of how active God is in his creation, not just speaking through a few prophets but looking to grow spiritual fruit in everyone. Jesus spells this out more clearly, describing his father as the gardener in John 15, and Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. This work by God involves us engaging with the reality of his pruning so we can grow back stronger and more fruitful. God does not want us to settle for fake spirituality; it won’t make real fruit!

What am I going to do differently as a result?

I want to engage more with prophecy and let God use me for real in this when he wants to, but I will let him grow and train me for this in his way. I’ll look out for when he wants this! To be ready for this, I need to spend more time listening and reflecting on what he wants.

Who am I going to share this with?

I have some tricky conversations coming up that I’d love God to speak through. I pray he will!