Rise Up The Glory of God: Called and Commissioned

When we talk about the glory of God, we’re talking about His presence and His character revealed. It’s more than a concept—it's something we can experience, reflect, and carry. Throughout Scripture, the glory of God moves, speaks, and transforms. And in Ezekiel’s story, we see this glory interrupt an ordinary moment and change a life forever.

Ezekiel was a young Jewish priest living far from where he believed he was meant to be. He should have been ministering in the temple at Jerusalem, but instead he found himself in Babylon—600 miles from home—after being taken captive by the Babylonians. His future, as he imagined it, had been stripped away.

The year of his 30th birthday—the year he was supposed to step fully into his priestly calling—arrived not in celebration but in exile. His hopes, dreams, plans, and expectations lay in ruins. Yet right there in the middle of disappointment, discouragement, and displacement, something happened that changed everything:

“The heavens were opened and I saw visions of God… and I felt the hand of the Lord take hold of me.” — Ezekiel 1:1–3

This moment reminds us of a powerful truth: God does some of His greatest work in places we never expected to be. When all seems lost, heaven can still open.

Even in Babylon, even by a foreign river, even when Ezekiel felt forgotten—God was moving. The same is true for us. When life feels off-track, when dreams don’t unfold the way we imagined, when the future feels uncertain—God has not stopped speaking, working, or calling.

The Hand of God in Hard Places

Ezekiel says, “I felt the hand of the Lord take hold of me.” In Scripture, God’s hand symbolises presence, protection, steadying, strengthening, and calling. God’s hand doesn’t push us down—it lifts us up. It doesn’t abandon—it anchors. It doesn’t harm—it heals.

And like Ezekiel, many of us need to be reminded that God places His hand upon our lives right in the moments when we feel weakest, most overwhelmed, or furthest from where we hoped to be. His hand reaches the vulnerable, the forgotten, the hurting—and He calls His people to reflect that same care to others.

A Vision of Glory in the Middle of Chaos

Ezekiel’s vision was unlike anything earthly—storms, lightning, creatures, wings, wheels within wheels, fire, and brilliant light. It sounds like something from a sci-fi film, yet its purpose was profoundly spiritual: God was showing Ezekiel that His glory is alive, active, and never bound by circumstance.

The glory of God does not wait for calm moments. It appears in exile, in confusion, in fear, and in pain. God’s glory breaks into real life.

And at the centre of this extraordinary vision was a throne—and on the throne, the likeness of a man glowing like fire from waist up and down. Surrounding Him was a radiant halo like a rainbow. Ezekiel fell face down in awe.

This moment centres us: above every situation, every nation, every crisis, every uncertainty—God reigns. The throne of Heaven is never empty.

Called and Commissioned

It is in this overwhelming encounter that God speaks to Ezekiel and commissions him. God doesn’t call him back to Jerusalem, nor to somewhere glamorous or easy. Instead, God sends him to speak to his own people—people who were discouraged, stubborn, cynical, and spiritually hardened.

God’s call is often not easy. But it is always purposeful, powerful, and infused with His presence.

Here are five truths that rise from Ezekiel’s commissioning:

1. God’s Presence Is Where We Hear His Voice

Ezekiel was by the river—a place he likely went for prayer, reflection, or searching for God. And that’s where heaven opened. If we want to hear God’s voice, we must put ourselves in places where His presence can draw near. That might be in Scripture, in worship, in silence, or in solitude.

God still speaks. But we must make space to listen.

2. God’s Call Demands Obedience

Before Ezekiel received his prophetic message, he received a simple instruction:
“Stand up, son of man…” (Ezekiel 2:1)

The call always begins with a step of obedience. Not understanding everything. Not having the details. Just saying yes.

Obedience opens the door to revelation.

3. God’s Spirit Empowers Us

Ezekiel couldn’t even stand until the Spirit entered him and set him on his feet (Ezekiel 2:2). God never calls us to something He won’t empower us for. The Holy Spirit strengthens, emboldens, equips, and lifts us when we feel unable.

Whatever God calls you to—He supplies the strength for.

4. God’s Call Is Specific and Sometimes Costly

God called Ezekiel to speak to a spiritually resistant people. Not a foreign nation. Not a distant land. But his own community.

Obedience to God’s call often requires courage, persistence, and sacrifice. It may cost comfort, reputation, energy, or certainty. But the gains far outweigh the cost:

• We gain His presence
• We gain His purpose
• We gain His power
• We gain eternal impact
• We gain joy and peace

Purpose always outweighs comfort.

5. God’s Call Is Personal and Unique

Not everyone is called to preach or lead. But everyone is called by God.

Some are called to ministry within the church; others are called to carry Christ into workplaces, families, classrooms, communities, and places of influence. Every role, every sphere, every gift matters.

If God has called you to it, He will equip you for it.

Heaven Is Still Open

Ezekiel’s life changed when heaven opened over a riverbank in Babylon. And the same God who called Ezekiel is still calling today. He is still revealing, commissioning, empowering, and sending.

Maybe God is calling you back to something you’ve laid down.
Maybe He’s calling you into something new.
Maybe He’s nudging you to rise again—into purpose, obedience, courage, and faith.

His Spirit is near. His hand is upon you. The heavens are open.

Will you say yes?

Application Questions

1. Where in your life do you feel like Ezekiel—far from where you hoped you’d be? What might God be doing in that place?
2. What practices help you enter God’s presence and hear His voice more clearly?
3. What step of obedience is God asking you to take right now, even if you don’t have the full picture?
4. Where do you sense the Holy Spirit empowering or strengthening you for something ahead?
5. Who has God placed in your world—family, colleagues, neighbours—that He may be calling you to reach, serve, or encourage?