“I HAVE SPOKEN, AND I WILL DO IT!”

 Ezekiel 17:22-24                                        (ESV)

“22 Thus says the LORD GOD: "I MYSELF will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I MYSELF will plant it on a HIGH and LOFTY mountain.

23 On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches AND PRODUCE FRUIT and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest.

24 And ALL THE TREES OF THE FIELD SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD; I bring low the high tree, and MAKE HIGH THE LOW TREE, DRY UP THE GREEN TREE, and MAKE THE DRY TREE FLOURISH. I AM THE LORD; “I HAVE SPOKEN, AND I WILL DO IT”." 

It AMAZES me how HOLY SPIRIT is so involved with my life that HE can direct even the passages that I “just happen” to read.  Ezekiel 17 begins with GOD speaking to Ezekiel saying “"Son of man (Ezekiel), PROPOUND A RIDDLE, and speak a parable to the house of Israel;”.  GOD was instructing Ezekiel to write words that we’re intended to cause the Israelites to MEDITATE on HIS WORD for guidance in their lives.  The word “PROPOUND” is defined as “to put forward for consideration; set forth”.  GOD apparently not only wanted OBEDIENCE from HIS CHOSEN, but HE desired them to TRUST HIM to lead them through “this world” and to Glorify HIM as they followed HIS LEADERSHIP!

At the end of Ezekiel 17, GOD is saying that HE “will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out”, not to be an overnight success, but to GROW “AND PRODUCE FRUIT and become a noble cedar”!  A “sprig” has to survive storms and parasites to “PRODUCE FRUIT and become a noble cedar”.  It doesn’t just “happen”! GOD gives us the stamina, drive and determination to achieve the PLAN HE has for our lives.  A CEDAR TREE can be a slow growing tree, some being thought to be over two thousand years old!  While mankind tends to strive to accomplish things in the LEAST amount of time, GOD operates in HIS OWN timing.  

As a cedar tree matures, it will UNDOUBTEDLY experience a few storms.  The storms can bend or even break the tree, but most of the time the growth is not interrupted.  The storms that we have to endure can break some limbs off, but our growth needs to continue to be uninterrupted.  Doing everything we can to avoid a storm is what we tend to do, regardless of our Spiritual Maturity.   Even JESUS prayed “ FATHER, if you are willing, remove this cup from ME” in Luke 22:42!  HE exhibited Spiritual Maturity like most of us never exhibit when HE completed HIS request, “Nevertheless, not MY will, but YOURS, be done."  HE was Glorified (John 17:23), but HE had to experience death to Glorify GOD through HIS resurrection!  

We have to be willing to “take up our cross” (Matthew 16:24-26; Luke 9:23) to allow GOD to be Glorified in our lives!  We might have to go through a few storms, even suffer a limb or two being broken away, but for GOD TO GET GLORY FROM OUR LIVES SHOULD BE WORTH IT!   We can have our plans for what we want to accomplish in our lives, but we ARE NOT GOD! 

 Hearing I AM the LORD; “I HAVE SPOKEN, AND I WILL DO IT” might mean that I have to adjust what I desire?  It may also say that my wants must to line up with HIS WILL???