Am I an Efficient Watchman?
As I sat down to read my Bible before the mad dash of afternoon activities, I realized I’m not focused. I’m reading a book of the Bible chalked full of history, not full of parables and prose like I usually thrive on. I began to ask God, “okay, God. Please help me get something from my reading today. Help me to focus on you and what you are saying.” Almost immediately my phone began dinging with what seemed like a million messages. These, my friends, were distractions from Satan who tried, with most of his might, to keep me from what God wanted to say.
Things in my life have been tumultuous over the past few months. It seems like nothing has gone “easy peasy.” I’ve found that, somewhere along the way, the purpose I thought I had for my life has shifted. I feel like I’m just winging it, waiting on a direct line of communication from God on how to proceed and fulfill what He wants me to do. So, distractions are just what Satan wants to use in order to lead me astray, away from being able to hear the voice of God. Not today, Satan! Not today!
So, back to my reading. As I read through Ezekiel I started having the same thought processes as I’ve had for the last few days. Why did God continue to do so much for a group of people who continuously, and blatantly, rejected him. Not once. Not Twice, but thousands of times over. I mean, he even wiped almost all of them off the face of the planet once, right? This led me to thinking about just how much God does the same for us. No matter how many times we turn away or blatantly reject Him, he still comes back to lead us along and restore us in Him. That’s a story for another day, though, my friends.
Here’s where I feel like I got a direct line of communication from God. Ezekiel 33:7 says “So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.” Okay, bear with me for a second. I know that, in reality, this book of the Bible talks about Ezekiel hearing God’s word and warning the Israelites about their ill-advised behavior that keeps leading them further from God. But, my friends, I started thinking about this idea of a watchman. I’ve seen the word several times in my read-through of the Bible. According to my research and further reading, it seems as if a watchman is someone who is set to warn others about danger. Verse 33 says “If, when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet and warn the people…” Then I began to question myself. Am I being a watchman of souls for Christ? Am I being a watchman of souls in my home? Am I actively searching for and warning of danger from the ultimate enemy who wants to destroy everything inherently good and of God?
So, my friends, whoever this message (aside from myself) was intended for: BE A WATCHMAN! Actively spread the Gospel, warning of the danger that Satan has in store for those who do not accept God’s greatest gift. BE A WATCHMAN of your home. Actively seek to protect your children, your husbands, and your families of ways in which Satan wants to destroy them. BE A WATCHMAN of your own soul. Worship Jesus and put everything else away. Protect yourself from sinful situations and lay your circumstances at His feet. BE A WATCHMAN for Jesus, and look for His coming!
In His name,
Heart & Home