Suffering Is Never for Nothing

by Elisabeth Elliot

to obey is better than sacrifice. It’s no good singing “Jesus Loves Me” when you’re disobeying your mother, and the highest form of worship is obedience. What do I have to offer to God that is more important than my obedience? There’s a great lesson on this in the book of Ezekiel, hidden back in the 24th chapter, beginning in verse 16. God told the son of man, “I take away from you the desire of your eyes with one stroke; yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, nor shall your tears run down. Sigh in silence, make no mourning for the dead; bind your turban on your head, and put your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips, and do not eat man’s bread of sorrow” (Ezek. 24:16–17 nkjv). In other words, forget all the ritual signs of mourning. And Ezekiel replies this, “So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died; and the next morning I did as I was commanded” (Ezek. 24:18 nkjv). Now that’s a very short description of some pretty important things! In the evening my wife died, and the next morning I did as I was commanded.