Saturday, August 28, 2010

Briers, Thorns and Scorpions, Oh My!

S - Ezekiel 2: 6 - "And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid though briers and thorns are all around you, and you live among scorpions."

O - Ezekiel had a difficult and dangerous calling. He was called to warn people who didn't want to listen, people who could respond violently. John the Baptist and Jesus had that call too. Verse six describes this poetically as briers, thorns and as living among scorpions. God told Ezekiel what his responsibility was. He was to warn people. He was also told what he was not responsible for. He was not responsible for their reaction to his message. Scorpions are agressive and opportunistic. Do you live among scorpions at work, or in your extended family? Do you know people who are agressive and like scorpions can crush you, or paralyze you with their venom and anger? It is important to know what you are dealing with, what your responsibility is, and how to protect yourself with the difficult people in your life. One key way to do that is through healthy boundaries of knowing what you are responsible for and what you are not responsible for.

A - I need to know what is my responsiblity and what is not my responsibility.

P - Lord, I seek your help and wisdom, your comfort, peace and courage to do my part and set appropriate boundaries. Help me know how to handle challenging people in my life. Amen.

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