Ezekiel 33 Devotional

More Than a Lovely Song

“Indeed, you are to them like a singer of love songs with a beautiful voice, who skillfully plays an instrument. They hear your words but do not put them into practice.”Ezekiel 33:32 (BSB)

God renews Ezekiel's call as a watchman (33:7), and he answers people crushed by guilt by swearing on his own life that he wants the wicked to turn and live (33:10-11). Then the news arrives. A survivor reports that Jerusalem has fallen, and Ezekiel's mouth is opened again (33:21-22).

What follows is unexpected. Ezekiel becomes popular. People talk about him in their doorways and invite one another to come hear the latest word from the LORD (33:30). They sit and listen, but they do not do what he says. They treat him like a performer with a lovely voice, pleasant to hear and easy to forget (33:31-32). God's word can be admired and still ignored. Jesus compared those who put his words into practice to a house built on rock, and those who only listen to a house built on sand (Matthew 7:24-27). God keeps speaking even to admirers who do not obey, and his patience invites you to let the word you enjoy reach your hands and feet.

To think about: Which part of God's word do you enjoy hearing but have been slow to put into practice, and what is one step you could take today?