"THE SOUL WATCHER”

Hebrew 13:17

“Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not to be for your benefit.” (NLT)

Praise the Lord saints of God, it is truly a good thing to give honor, glory, and praises to our Heavenly Father! It is also a good thing to honor our leaders and our brothers and sisters in Christ—those who have been a tremendous blessing in our lives. The Bible tells us in Romans 12:10 (NLT), “Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.”

As I was driving to work the other day, I began to meditate and reflect on the people God has used to pray for and lift me up. Today, I want to publicly give God thanks for my dear Pastor, “THE SOUL WATCHER” over my life. God has entrusted him with the church and the many souls he will be held accountable for. Is this an easy task? No, not at all! Yet as humans, we can find it hard to accept teaching, rebuke and correction from them. Our leaders too, are humans and, at times, need support, prayer and encouragement. 

We should appreciate those the Lord uses to watch over our souls. Today, I want to encourage us about the importance of fervently praying for our leaders and those whom God has placed in our lives as “THE SOUL WATCHER.” This ensures that we stay in alignment with God’s Word and His perfect will for our lives. Do you have a spiritual leader? If so, it is necessary that we continually pray for them. If we think we are going through hard times, imagine the fight they face watching over our souls and being accountable to God for us. 

There is a constant battle between the flesh and the spirit. The Lord chastens those He loves and wants the best for. I recall a specific moment in my life when I didn’t see danger ahead, but God used my dear Pastor to guide me in the right direction. A particular scripture I've often heard him say is, “I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth” (3 John 1:4, NLT)

Psalm 40:1-3 (NKJV) declares, “He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth- Praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the LORD.” In this passage, the Psalmist David was in a difficult situation and cries out to the Lord. David was filled with such joy and praise unto the Lord. Reading this passage, encourages me to share my testimony and praise with others so that all may trust in and revere the Lord.

Saints, there is joy that springs forth and makes us want to keep pressing toward the mark in Christ Jesus when we hold onto Biblical truth.

In all reality, we need each other to survive, and God desires that we love one another just as He loves us. For how can we say, we love God who we can’t see but hate our brother we see? That man is called a liar (1 John 4:20). Many in the world today do not have a spiritual leader, but instead look to the world or the government for direction. However, we must remember, the Lord promised us in His Word, "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future" (John 16:13, NLT).

In recent months, many around the world anxiously awaited the elections here in America. People were overwhelmed with questions, opinions, and concerns about who should win. Today, we know who the president-elect is, but knowing this does not change God's will for our lives. No matter what comes our way, God will always be God and must receive all the glory. Our duty as the Church is to pray for those in authority, regardless of whether we agree with them or not. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to serve the gods of Nebuchadnezzar or worship the gold statue. Their response was, “If they were thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom they served would still save them, and even if He refused to do so they still would not worship another god” (Daniel 3:17-18, NLT). By building our confidence in God we can have peace like the three Hebrew boys in the book of Daniel. Let us pray without ceasing that, “The Lord will hear the prayer of the [consistently] righteous [that is, those with spiritual integrity and moral courage] (Proverbs 15:29, AMP).

We are living in the last days- the period between Christ’s death, resurrection, ascension and His second return. It is a difficult time, but we must endure as Christian soldiers in the army of God. Paul the Apostle tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:1-4, NLT, “In the last days will be difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing scary. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.” We must not be caught off guard by what’s happening around us, but remain prayerful, watchful and saturated in the Word of God. In spite of the chaos, we have a responsibility, just like those in authority to pray and remain rooted and grounded in God's Word, regardless of the world's view. Let us take glory in the fact that we have a personal relationship with God. So, saints, let us hold on to Christ, the solid Rock, our firm foundation.

Remember to always put your faith in Almighty God—the Author and Finisher of our faith. He holds the heart of the King in His hands and turns it wherever He desires. May the Lord grant us wisdom, knowledge, and understanding in these times, and help us to lean not on our own understanding, but acknowledge Him in all our ways. Come what may, I pray the Lord continues to bless you all! 

These are a few scriptures that highlight praying for our government and leaders (Please take the time to read the scriptures).      

1 Timothy 2:1-2

Titus 2:7-8

Colossians 1:16-17

Psalms 22:27-28

“The whole earth will acknowledge the lord and return to him. All the families of the nations will bow down before him. For royal power belongs to the lord. He rules all the nations”

Please take the time to read the scriptures throughout!!

Have an amazing day!