Are we listening as we should?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

I appointed watchmen over you and said, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But you said, ‘We will not listen.’
(Jeremiah 6:17 (NIV))

Do you believe that the Lord has posted watchmen in this day and age? Do you believe that there are people that the Lord has gifted with the ability to interpret the events in this world and the ability to listen to Him for understanding of these events? Do you believe that all of this is done with the intent of warning the Body of Christ as things of a Biblical nature unfold?

All throughout history, people have been selected to keep watch in order to keep everyone else safe. Ancient cities posted watchmen along the tops of the walls that surrounded their cities. Military posts to this day post watch at strategic points such as entrances and security points. A watchman is there to alert others to the possibility of danger from forces outside of the city. When a watchman sounds the alarm, everyone springs into action to defend themselves from the impending attack.

What would happen if no one responded to the alert sounded from those who are posted as watchmen?

It doesn’t take much imagination to realize that in the physical world, of you ignore the alert sounded by a watchman, you run the risk of death. Why do we then tend to ignore the sound of the people whom the Lord has called to be spiritual watchmen over His Body? Are we so out of touch with the Lord, His Word, and His plan as it is unfolded in His Word? Do we not heed those who alert us to the world claiming that good is now evil and evil is now good? Do we not heed the alert that the enemy is prowling around looking for someone to devour? Are we too engrossed in our day to day lives that we are oblivious to what is going on around us even when we are being told to watch out for the enemy is near?

We profess a faith in Jesus. We profess to have turned over lordship of our lives to Jesus, yet we don’t seem to listen to those whom He has called to alert us to danger. In essence, by our inaction, we are saying that we are not listening. We listen to anything and everything else. We keep our noses in our electronics while our eyes and ears are focused only on the things that are directly in front of us. We are so wrapped up in the superficial that we completely ignore the clear and present warnings that are being sent our way.

We claim that we follow Jesus, yet do we truly listen to all that He wants to tell us?

Are we listening as we should?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Are you diligently keeping watch?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’
(Mark 13:37 (NIV))

Are you diligently watching and waiting for the Lord’s return?

These words from Mark are recorded as the last words in a brief story about a man leaving his servants in charge while he is gone. In this example, the man did not tell his servants when he would return. He simply told them to watch and be prepared.

Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.
(Mark 13:33-36 (NIV))

If Jesus were to return for His church today, how would He find you? Would He catch you off guard or would you recognize that He is coming and would you be prepared to meet Him? Sadly, too many people who profess a faith in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior simply go about their daily lives with no thought to the question of “What if Jesus returned today?” It is the farthest thing from their minds, yet it should be the most important thing on their mind at all times.

Think about that in terms of a job. You are employed to do a certain task and when the boss is there, you perform the task as expected. But, when the boss is away for a day or two, do you perform your duties as you would if your boss were there?

Absence makes us lose sight of the importance of what we have been assigned to do! I’ll let you in on a little secret, though, with respect to the Lord. Unlike your boss, Jesus still knows your every thought and action. He knows who is diligently watching and waiting for Him.

We are to watch and wait for the Lord to return. Are you diligently keeping watch?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Will you join me as a watchman?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the LORD,
give yourselves no rest,
(Isaiah 62:6 (NIV))

Are you content with the way things are in this world?

Have you accepted the sin and the wars as simply a part of life?

Do you go about your business with an attitude that says as long as it doesn’t effect me, then what does it matter?

Is this what the Body of Christ is called to do?

Is this what you think of as fulfilling the great commission?

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
(Mark 16:15 (NIV))

Are we fulfilling this commandment if we have an attitude similar to the questions that I asked previously? Are we truly watchmen if we ignore the sin that we are called to stand against? Are we truly part of the Body of Christ if we don’t fulfill what we have been told to do? Has the church become complacent in our responsibilities?

A watchman is supposed to alert people to danger. What is more dangerous than sin?

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 6:23 (NIV))

Sin can lead any of us to a point where we fall away from the faith. I promise that I will do all that I can to be a watchman. Will you join me?

Copyright 1998 – 2014 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Can we resume our positions as watchmen?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.
(Ezekiel 33:6 (NIV))

Can we still communicate with God? Do we still listen to God? Do we allow those in spiritual authority over us to speak God’s Word even when we don’t want to hear it? Perhaps more importantly we need to ask if those in spiritual authority over us are willing to be the watchmen that God calls them to be?

Have the watchmen of our generation become too concerned with societal pressure and have they stopped telling us that we are on the verge of attack? Have the watchmen held firm in telling us of the attacks to the foundation of our faith and our society? Have we paid attention to them at all when they warned us about things in our society that go against God’s Word?

We have allowed the very foundations of our society and our faith to be eroded away right before our eyes!

When the foundations are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do?
(Psalm 11:3 (NIV))

Have we been too complacent and too quiet, after all, we have the Word of God and we can study and know for ourselves? If we profess a faith in Jesus, then each of us are watchmen. Have we had the attitude that if it doesn’t directly effect me, why should I worry about it? Have we allowed our personal foundations to be destroyed?

Can we still communicate with God? Can we repent and pray? Can we resume our positions as watchmen?

Copyright 1998 – 2014 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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