YOU HAVE WATCHMEN OVER YOU

“This is what the Lord says…I appointed watchmen over you”              (Jeremiah 6:16-17, NIV)

Take a second and think about your youth and the journey you have taken since childhood. Do you have times that were difficult or even scary where you got through it in some amazing way? Do you ever think about tricky situations where you surprisingly succeeded? Could it have been God helping you?

A Personal Testimony About Watchmen

Recently, a woman at church told the Thursday night group about a vision she had. That vision rocked my life! She said, “There is someone here tonight for whom God wants to reveal things about your childhood and early life. He said that He was watching over you at each stage of your life and He still watches over you! Could you please come forward?”

I practically ran up front! Since I was the only one that came forward, I said, “I just know that this must be me!” The Pastor and his wife immediately surrounded me and asked me to say why I cam forward. I said, “My childhood was good until about 11 years of age and then there was a lot of abuse, angry yelling between my parents, and many other scary situations. I had to get out of the home as soon as I could, so I got into every sport or activity at school that took me out evenings and weekends. I always wondered if God was watching over me!” Here was evidence that God’s hand was on my life, protecting me from harm. Also, His watching led me to have success in the academic and pastoral world in the future.[i]

Another Confirmation

You know if something is from God when there are multiple confirmations. This has happened to us several times. For example, years ago we attended a “Junior High reunion” (today they call them Middle Schools) in the town we grew up in. They invited graduates from all the different years since the founding of the school, so there was a large and diverse group of people that showed up. During a gathering, they asked if anyone would share a memory of the school and I volunteered. I talked about the teachers that really helped me to be prepared for high school and beyond. After the meeting, a man came up to me and said he had something to tell me. He said, “You probably didn’t know this, but there were several of us that were really praying for you.” I was very touched and thanked him for such uplifting news. Later, I realized that they might have prayed because they somehow knew of my family situation. That really touched my heart! Now, when I connect the message from the reunion with the message at church, I can see that it was another example of God’s watching over my life—a “God Wink!”[ii]

If you never had such an encouraging word, ask the Lord to find one and give it to you!

What’s the Significance of ‘Watchman’?

The word, “Watchman” is important to the history of Israel because there was a need to have night-time guards over every city (Isaiah 62:6). The worry was to be prepared for any attack from their enemies. There were certain times for lookout guards each day such as first watch to the fourth watch (Habakkuk 2: 1). The watches are associated with identifying and seeing the enemy or any other threats to the city. Watching could be an aspect of spiritual warfare as well as a prophetic sign of worldly difficulties  (e.g., In the fourth watch, Jesus quieted the storm for the disciples and urged them to quiet storms themselves—Luke 8:22-25). And many Christians have found the fourth watch (3 to 6 a.m. during the night) as a time of revelation and hearing from God. There are several good Christian books about “hearing from God.”[iii]

Try finding time to pray and meditate in the early morning and you may be surprised by the wonders you will find. A little soft, “soaking music” can help. God has a word for you!

Pastor G. Harold

[i] I credit the hand of God and His watchers to give me favor when I applied for college, graduate school, and ordination. He was definitely working in our marriage of 55 years! Also, some amazing jobs opened, and they led me to colleagues who later offered me even greater jobs! Some of our cross-country moves came from prayer and recording God’s suggestions in journals.

Thank you, Lord!

[ii] God Winks are events in life that draw you to a certain end, such as “accidentally” running into someone multiple times that you later married. Or another example is seeing the same number appear multiple times that  directs you to something important.

[iii] “Knowing God” by Joyce Meyer or “4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice,” by Mark & Patti Virkler.

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