Get down and dig

Today I read Ezekiel 5:16-9:2 and Hebrews 13:1-21. My favorite verses are:

Ezekiel 8:7-8 And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall. 8 Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.

Hebrews 13:20-21 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

These verses from Ezekiel may seem a little obscure, but they spoke to me. Sometimes we pray and ask God for something then feel like he is not responding. These two verses reminded me that it is not always easy to see and know God’s will—it may take a little digging! God showed Ezekiel one door, but then he had to dig through a hole in the wall to find the second door—the door that God wanted him to go through. Are we willing to get down and dig, and maybe get a little dirty in the process, to find the door that God wants us to go through? If so, we may reach the goal described in Hebrews; we may become “perfect in every good work to do his will”. But read and know that it is only through the blood of that great shepherd that we may reach perfection in God’s sight. Jesus died for us and rose from the dead to bring us eternal life. It is only after being saved by the blood of Christ that we can be do anything pleasing to God. Our works in His Name and for His glory are pleasing to God—that is perfection.