The Watchman - Day 236 Month 8-23 Week 34-5
Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year)
1 Kings 10, Proverbs 23:1-12, Ezekiel 33:1-20, 1 Corinthians 15:20-49
The Watchman
The watchman in biblical times would stand on city walls or towers to look into the distance and warn the community of approaching danger or enemy attacks. My assumption is that if the watchman would warn of incoming danger and the people ignored the warning, the consequences would be the responsibility of the people. If danger arrived and the watchman did not warn the people, the watchman would shoulder the responsibility for failing to notify the people.
I heard a story from a few months ago in our local town. This may be a true story or it may not. I tend to hear stories at the hardware store, some are true, but I suspect this one is just a story. It goes like this. In the middle of the night thieves broke into a local jewellery store. The silent alarm went off to notify the police department whose office is close by. Unfortunately, the officer on duty had fallen asleep and did not respond immediately to the alarm. When he did respond, it was too late and the thieves had made off with the loot.
God spoke to Ezekiel and told Ezekiel he would be used by God as a watchman to the people of Israel. He told Ezekiel that if God tells him to warn the people of their sin and they don’t heed his warning and turn back to God, their sins will be their own responsibility. On the other hand, if God gives Ezekiel instruction to warn the people of Israel and Ezekiel does not tell them, Ezekiel will shoulder the responsibility for not telling them.
In a much milder way, I sometimes feel like a watchman. Not because I believe God has made me a prophet or given me some special authority, but because I believe that as I read Scripture each day, I have a responsibility to share what I am learning. What I write is my understanding of Scripture and how I believe it applies to my life. Someone reading it may agree, they may disagree, or they may simply want to think about it. What they do with it is their choice and, ultimately, between them and God. My responsibility is simply to be honest about what I believe and not keep quiet about something I believe is important.
I also believe God can use many different ways to get our attention. Sometimes that may be through Scripture, sometimes through prayer, sometimes through another person, and sometimes through circumstances or something we encounter in everyday life. I don't pretend to know all the ways God communicates. I simply want to remain open to what I believe He is showing me and have the courage to share it when I believe it is worth sharing.
I feel compelled to share what I believe Scripture teaches. I believe Jesus really died and was raised from the dead three days later. I believe His death was God’s way of dealing with the separation between us and Him that comes from our wrongdoing. We do not earn our way back to God by being good enough. We begin by believing what Jesus did was real, recognizing that we need to turn away from the things in our lives that are wrong, and choosing to make Jesus the one we follow. For me, that means learning to love God with all my heart, mind and soul, and to love other people as I love myself.
That’s it. Following Jesus does not mean that we suddenly become perfect or have everything figured out. It means beginning a relationship with Him and allowing that relationship to change how we live. There is much more I could say about what that looks like in everyday life, and I would be happy to talk with anyone who is interested in exploring what following Jesus might mean for them. I can be reached at the email address listed below.
Have a great day!
Steve
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