Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears. Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners .” (Ezekiel 24: 16,17, NIV)
I came across Ezekiel while flicking through the Bible. First things I can say: Poor man! For some purpose, God decided to take away His wife, the love of his life, his companion “’till death do us part”…away from him. He could not mourn, he could not cry, he could not show publicly his pain. (I have to ask: Did he have a “mask” on? Highly unlikely…)
Further in the passage, God says: Say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to desecrate my sanctuary—the stronghold in which you take pride, the delight of your eyes, the object of your affection. The sons and daughters you left behind will fall by the sword. And you will do as I have done. You will not cover your mustache and beard or eat the customary food [of mourners]… (Ezekiel 24:21,22, TNIV)
This makes me question: what will God take away from us that are so dear and tight for us? Are they dreams or goals? Is it some rock that won’t let us focus on Him? I do not know, but it is sure that we’re not that helpless under the iron… If it makes sense.