Hard-headed ministry

Has the Lord given you someone to minister to who is exceptionally challenging? It may be an unbeliever or a believer. Perhaps a spouse or teenage child or boss or even a fellow church or small group member.

Ever feel like giving up? Ever feel like their hard-headedness or hard-heartedness is going to win out?

Ezekiel had a whole NATION of hard-heads and hard-hearts to prophesy to. God told him on the front end of his ministry:

"But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me. Because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart." Ezekiel 3:7

Well, so much for the glamor of ministry! Any bubble that Ezekiel had about the masses ooohing and ahhhhing over his prophecies was graciously popped by God before his prophetic ministry began. He knew what he was facing and it would take super-human persistence and endurance to do it well and finish well.

HOW could he serve a granite-headed people for years without throwing in the servant's towel?

God promised to make Ezekiel equal to the task.

"Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house." Ezekiel 3:8-9

In essence, God said, "I have made you equal to the task. They will be resistant as stone, but I have given you a steel-will to keep speaking my word to them. They will give you looks that could kill, but I have given you flak-jacket heart that will keep looking to me."

God can and will make us as graciously hard-headed as sin can make others hard-headed and stubborn. He will make us hard-headed enough NOT to stop trusting Him for love and courage and compassion and wisdom and plain 'ole hang in there toughness.

Don't give up! Cry out to God for a hard-headed ministry.