Human Poop

08.29.14

Ezekiel 4.8 8 And behold, I will place cords upon you, so that you cannot turn from one side to the other, till you have completed the days of your siege. – God

I don’t know why God does the things He does – He’s yet to check in with me and ask my opinion. I know God was showing the exiles through Ezekiel’s antics, what He was doing to the people who were still in Judah and Jerusalem under Nebuchadnezzar’s seige. And, to make His point: Ezekiel, it appears, was paralyzed for at least 420 days – talk about a running Broadway Show!

Today, I thought about a friend of mine who is suffering from ALS. His wife often writes to us not-knowers and gives us insight on his condition, and what it’s like to be a caregiver to someone who suffers as he does. It isn’t pretty. Despite all the positive thoughts and thinking, and looking for the good in the worst, it isn’t pretty.

Being God’s servant isn’t pretty either. God commanded Isaiah to run around naked. (Isaiah 20) And God commanded Ezekiel to use human excrement as fuel for his fire (Ezekiel 4.12ff). Ezekiel humbly refused, so God, instead, allowed him to use cattle dung. (In Jerusalem, the cattle, by this time in the siege, were long gone – as were the dogs, cats, chicken, and rats – so there was nothing left for fuel except human poop, and it was running low as well…). Being God’s servant isn’t pretty and suffering God’s judgment isn’t pretty either – humans eating humans and all that.

But I think what really got me today was the paralyzation that Ezekiel experienced. For 420 days. It wasn’t like he clocked in in the morning, took a lunch break and clocked out at night and went home to the fam. So, how’d it go at work today honey? Oh, you know, the usual: l just laid around all day. Ezekiel couldn’t move for a year and fifty-five days except to roll over once. I get sore just thinking about it.

So guys, what do we do when God calls us to be un-pretty? What do we do when God demands human poop instead of anything else? Not sure I have an answer other than we’re to do all to the glory of God – 1 Corinthians 10.31. I’m not sure this is for the outer crowd. I’m not so sure this is for the inner-crowd. I think this is for the one who walks with God in deep humility and desperation crying, where You lead me, I’ll follow. Get ready to get dirty, stiff, and sore…

Father, where You lead me I will follow. The needs of these days are great and I’m not to choose the way of ease in these days of war. Help me to stand firm and to do all You say for Your kingdom and glory – human poop notwithstanding… Amen.