When they stood still, they lowered their wings. Then there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered wings (Ezekiel 1:24z–25 NIV).
Heaven can teach us. Here we find the heavens opened. In this vision Ezekiel sees four living creatures. They had two wings to fly and two wings to cover their bodies. Now we find them lowering their wings when they stood still.
Let us think about ourselves. How still can we be? We love action; don’t we? That is good. We find the living creatures move in this vision too. But when they stood still, it was a perfect stillness.
This is what is most difficult to us. Even when we stop our outward activity our minds are restlessly flapping its wings. That is not good. It prevents us from enjoying the presence of God.
Now look at the activity of the living creatures for a moment. And note its impact too. In verse 24, you find the sound of their wings described when they moved. It was “like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army.”
Impressive! But now look at what happened when they stood still with lowered wings. A voice came from above. This is most important. It was God speaking!
The point is clear. Feverish activity should stop at times. Even when Christian activity can raise a voice that is impressive, it can never be a substitute for hearing God speak. But to hear Him speak, we have to lower our wings and allow all noise of our activity to subside.
Only then can we hear God speak. Though He can shout above all our noise, He waits for the audience to be still. Can we we be still before Him with lowered wings? That is the most important question today.
Hearing God can only happen when we stop our activities. We should be in a posture to listen. God demands our undivided attention. Even if our activity is busy work for God; even as the living creatures were busy in God’s work, there are times when a lowering of wings is called for. Then we need to stand still.
It is the time God speaks from “above” from a much higher plane than we are. That is the time we will be given wisdom and a plan of action. Remember it comes from above: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights” (James 1:17a NIV).
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