430 Days of Laziness

I haven't felt well today, and yes... I know it's late, but I can't seem to sleep. Plus, I had something I wanted to blog about.

I was laying on my side in bed the other morning (maybe Saturday) thinking about how nice it was to lay there... just thinking, praying, enjoying the morning. As I thought I could lay there forever, a story came to mind. I was reminded of Ezekiel. I read the story recently about God calling Ezekial to prophesy to the Israelites. Among other things, God tells Ezekiel to lay on his left side for 390 days... one day for every year of Israel's rebellion. When he's done with that... he got to switch to his right side... another 40 days for Judah's rebellion.

Wow! Who can empathize with his initial response to God's call?...

"The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me. I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Abib near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat down among them for seven days - overwhelmed." (Ezekiel 3:14-15)

I think he may have sat there longer, only the LORD snapped him out of it by giving him the 430-day instructions.

So... why is it such a popular notion that God's plan for each of us is to make us happy? The Bible is chock full of stories of God calling men and women to do things that seemed contrary to their logic and unlikely to make them happy...

Abraham - God asked him to move from his home (um... out of his comfort zone) and later to sacrifice his son

Moses - God asked him to lead the Israelites out of slavery (do you remember how many times Moses argued with God over that one?)

Mary - have God's son (how would you like to face the questions/ridicule about that one?)

There's a quote I love... maybe by A.W. Tozer, though I'm not positive... "God's will isn't always easy, but it's always right."

May you and I answer God's call no matter the consequence.