Imagine living in Starkville with your wife that you love and adore. Then God tells you that He is going to take her away in order to warn the MSU student body of things to come. He then tells you that you cannot mourn your wife's death so that you can be an example for them...
WHAT?
I can see that Ezekiel has so much faith in chapter 24. I'm sorry, but please don't sign me up to become a prophet. I never knew how much pain he had to suffer. God took away his wife "the delight of his eye". God told him to only "groan quietly" (v. 17) Note God's sympathy that we don't comprehend, God knew his heart, and that it would be impossible for him to not feel anything at the death of his wife. But the even crazier part of this is looking at how much God loves his people.
He did this to warn them, to give them a specific instructions on what to do when a trial was about to come. (v. 22-23) Why? Verse 24 says so that "you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord".
This shows us another way we can experience our sovereign Lord, to obey Him. I can sing praises all day long but in order to fully experience His sovereignty in my life comes from obeying Him.
Later in that chapter it talks about how "others will see that I am Sovereign Lord". How will others know who reigns in your life? Will they know that the God you serve is the same God that is reigning in your life? Because remember, we cannot serve two masters. (Matt 6:24) Also, "we must obey God rather than men!" (Acts 5:29). Ezekiel lived out a good example of this; I doubt I would even come close to this type of obedience. Trusting, serving, and obeying Him are all intertwined to bring forth glory to God.
If you boldly ask God to strengthen your faith, serve only Him, AND obey Him, then it will be known that He is Sovereign Lord of your life.
Jesus asks us a simple question in Luke 18:8. When He returns, will He find FAITH on the earth?
When you stand before the throne, will He say, "good and faithful SERVANT?"(Matt 25:21)
