For Kids · 3 min with a grown-up
This is one of the most tender chapters in Ezekiel. God gives a picture with a cooking pot, and then He walks with Ezekiel through a very sad day.
Today's Story
First, God gave Ezekiel a picture to share. “Imagine a big cooking pot on the fire,” God said. The pot stood for the city of Jerusalem. For a long time the city had gotten messy inside, like a pot that nobody ever scrubbed clean. God said the time had come to make it clean again.
Then something very sad happened to Ezekiel himself.
God told him, “Today the person you love most in the whole world is going to be taken from you.” Ezekiel had a dear wife. And that evening, she died.
Ezekiel was so sad. But God asked him to do something hard: to stay quiet, and not cry out loud where everyone could see, so that the people would stop and wonder and pay attention to God's message.
So Ezekiel did the hard thing God asked. On the inside, his heart hurt. The people came and asked him, “Why are you acting this way? What does it mean?” And that gave Ezekiel a chance to point them back to God.
Even on the saddest day, Ezekiel was not alone. God was right there with him — and God is right there with us on our sad days too.
A Big Word
Talk About It
- When you feel sad, what helps you most — a hug, a quiet place, talking to someone, or something else?
- Ezekiel was very sad, but God stayed close to him. How does it feel to know God stays close to you when you are sad?
- Who is someone you could comfort this week when they are having a hard day?