“Then Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself. Then go to your people in exile and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Do this whether they listen to you or not.” (Ezekiel 3:10-11, NLT).

In this commissioning of Ezekiel for God’s service, there are two points that are relevant for disciples of Jesus.

First, God told Ezekiel that he had to internalize God’s messages himself before delivering them to the exiles among whom he lived. In other words,  your own life should be transformed by God’s Word before you proclaim words that God can use to transform other people’s lives.

The Holy Spirit needs to reveal the truth of God’s Word to you so you can be faithful to God when opposition or other difficulties arise in your life as a result of living and proclaiming the message of Jesus.

When you are proclaiming the message of Jesus, then your life is subject to the scrutiny of others–both believers and unbelievers–and so the faithfulness that comes through being established in God’s Word is a necessary prerequisite to its proclamation.

Second, God’s Word is not subject to debate, negotiation, or rejection. Although people doubt it, argue about it, or refuse to believe it does not lessen or diminish the truth and authority of God’s Word. Things will happen just as God has said!

So the second point amplifies the first. Because God’s Word is true and authoritative, our first action in proclaiming it must be to embrace it for ourselves.

“The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever.” (Psalm 119:160, NLT)