Declare what You See

“For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.” (Isa 21:6 AV)

The LORD has instructed the prophet to set a watchman.  This watchman’s sole responsibility is toe declare what he sees.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.  The watchman is a reporter.  He is not the interpreter of what he sees.  Just the source of declaration of the facts.  If he does not, the whole city will suffer.  There will be no forewarning.  No preparations made.  What comes will come without hesitation.  What comes will come without and regard of the condition of those upon whom they will come.  The watchman cannot force the city to act.  His responsibility is not to devise a plan.  His job is to merely state the facts.  So, too, is the job of the saint.  We are to declare the facts of eternal damnation and eternal life.  We are to state the facts of the plan of salvation. We are to declare what we see.  But declare we must.

Several years ago, I was helping my son and his wife load up their truck as they moved away to another state.  We were rather busy and the sun was beginning to set.  My daughter-in-law knows how to clean glass.  She can get a window pain so clean that it doesn’t even reflect back.  Such was the case with her front door.  The storm door was so clean and the sun was recently set that one could not see any reflection in that glass at all.  Back lit from inside, it appeared as though the door wasn’t even there.  No paying attention, I walked into that door at a normal pace.  The only time I have ever done that.  Never before in my life had I walked into a closed door.  It hurt!  I thought I had broken my nose.  Praise the LORD the glass was super thick and did not shatter.  After her laughter finally died down, she said, “Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you about that front door.  It happens all the time.  Someone is always running into that door.”  A lousy watchman she was!

As believers, our job is simple.  The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to convict the sinner and encourage their repentance.  Ours is the declare what we see.  As preachers, our job is simple.  It is to declare what we see.  It is to state what the gift of discernment requires.  When we see a saint going down the road of poor choices, we are to declare what we see.  When we see God’s hand on a person, we are to declare what we see.  When we see the future direction of the work of God, we are to declare what we see.  We fail for a lack of declaration.  Not for the lack of seeing.