Friday - Ezekiel 2 - How We Stand... and Why

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E ended Ezekiel 1 with the prophet lying on his face before the revealed glory of God. Now, we begin Ezekiel 2 with God returning the prophet to his feet. This simple gift of grace must not be overlooked. Standing in God's presence is no small accomplishment. In fact, if it's up to us to accomplish it, then it just won't ever happen. Paul wrote in Philippians 2:10-11 that everyone will bow in the presence of the Son of God someday. The Hebrew poet wrote, "If You, LORD, should mark (keep a rigid record of)  iniquities,  0  Lord,  who shall stand?"  (Psalm 130:3).   God Himself asked Job if he thought anyone would qualify to stand in His presence (Job 41:10). David used the same interrogative to emphasize the same reality (Psalm 24:3).

We should be gleefully and gratefully stunned that God's grace and mercy is great enough to give us the strength to stand in His presence (Romans 14:4). Not that I wouldn't be happily satisfied to grovel humbly at His feet throughout eternity, I feel that I would be. But the realization that God's grace is great enough to bring me up and to hold me up in the presence of the Almighty, this is spectacular indeed (Romans 10:11, 1^st John 4:17, Philippians 2:15, 2^nd Peter 3:14, Ephesians 5:27, Jude 1:24, Matthew 25:23 & Revelation 7:9).  He is able to make us stand!