a higher perspective of choice

What would you do
if the Lord appeared to you...
reached down with His hand
and picked you up
by a lock of your hair?

I asked my husband that question
and he considered the pain.
But I was thinking...
maybe it would depend
on the reason for the lift.

I mean, He might be yanking you,
like you needed to be pulled out
from somewhere you shouldn't be.
That for certain, would hurt.

But what if...
like Ezekiel, He was wanting
to take you somewhere;
wanting to show you something.
I'm sure He could make it
a gentler rise, without the discomfort
that left you feeling as if
you were gonna need
a weave, or a wig to cover that spot.

​This was not the first time the Lord
had appeared to Ezekiel.
Nor the first time He transported
his spirit, lifting him to a higher perspective;
a view of earthly things
from the heavenly realm.

And what a perspective to see.
For God had been grieved by man...
ousted from the very temple
that was built to honor His presence.
He said to me, “Son of man,
do you see what they are doing,
the great abominations
that the house of Israel commits here,
to make Me go far away from My sanctuary?
Ezekiel 8:6 NKJV

The very place that God promised
His presence...
had now been so defiled by
foreign idols, pagan altars and ritual worship
that His jealousy turned to wrath.

And now He longed for human eyes
to not only take in this view from above,
but allow it to penetrate
the heart, the soul, the spirit...
There were no words to express
the disparity within the heart of a man
that only God sees...
apart from what we choose
to "dress up pretty" for the crowd.

And He said to me,
“Go in, and see the wicked abominations
which they are doing there.”
So I went in and saw, and there...
every sort of creeping thing,
abominable beasts, and
all the idols of the house of Israel,
portrayed all around on the walls.
And there stood before them
seventy men of the elders
of the house of Israel...
Each man had a censer in his hand,
and a thick cloud of incense went up.

Then He said to me,
Son of man, have you seen
what the elders of the house of Israel
do in the dark, every man
in the room of his idols?
For they say,
The Lord does not see us,
the Lord has forsaken the land.
Ezekiel 8:9-12 NKJV

It's often easy for us
to casually breeze past
these Old Testament references
of the temple and it's significance.

Because we have never
had to walk our lamb from
the field of our homestead,
to the hands of the priest...
letting go of the rope,
listening to the living and loud
bleating.
Soon to know it lives no more,
so the blood it sheds upon the altar
assures our hearts
that we may sleep more soundly,
forgiven.

But let us not forget...
that we too have been called
the temple of the Lord.

We too have led a Lamb
to the slaughter.
This One, however silent.
Not one sound did He make
in protest, but willingly shed that blood.
Every drop He gave for each of us,
which assures our hearts
that we may sleep more soundly,
forgiven.

And within us dwells
the very presence of our God.
The assured and promised gift;
the Holy Spirit,
a guatantee, a pledge of our inheritance
until His return and redemption
for this world.

So let us not become like these,
who defile our temple
with every high and lofty thing
that causes Him jealousy
because we love our prideful selves
more than Him.

And let us not fail
to the opposite extreme
listening to lies that drag us
spiraling downward into the pit of dispair.

For either is still
a worship of darkness and self,
where every sort of creeping thing,
and abominable beast is given
open access to our soul.

Let us rather cry out to Him,
Lord save us from ourselves!
Open the door,
exposing us to the Light.
We are weary of darkness.

Let us never
grieve Him, quench His Spirit,
nor oust Him from our temple.

Forbid these words spoken of us...
Then He said to me,
Son of man, have you seen
what the elders of the house of Israel
do in the dark, every man
in the room of his idols?
For they say,
The Lord does not see us,
the Lord has forsaken the land.

Lord, God, reach down
with Your hand,
pick us up
by a lock of our hair
and lift us to the heavenly realm;
show us Your amazing perspective.
I'm sure You can make it
a gentler rise, without discomfort.
​I trust in You wholly as my God.

Remind us who and Who's we are...
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters,
you have no obligation
to do what your sinful nature
urges you to do.
Romans 8:12 NLT

Help us, Lord, put to death...
even sacrifice these deeds
of our sinful nature,
so we can live free as Your children.

How grateful we should be...
no longer fearful slaves, but rather
faithful heirs of God's glory.

Word of God
train me, today...
To set my mind on a higher perspective,
leaving behind earthly desires
and seeking that which
is pleasing to God.

​To relax into Your grace,
knowing that I am
no longer a slave to sin,
but rather an heir of God,
free to choose
a day of joy and contentment.