God’s Word reads, “15And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding” (Jeremiah 3:15, KJV).
In the background of this week’s focus scripture, the Lord issues a call to a nation in a backslidden condition. Their condition compares to the current condition of humanity. God promised in His Word to give us pastors – shepherds – according to His heart who will provide knowledge and understanding. He kept His promise, because they are among us today. With October being Clergy appreciation month, I offer words of encouragement and thanks to pastors everywhere.
In my short time on the Earth, I have encountered many pastors fervently feeding the flock of God with the firm hand and tender love of Christ that demands recognition. These are men and women with an incredible knack for bringing clarity to confusion. Pastors, your role in the maturing of the Body of Christ is vitally essential. You have excellent job security!
I pray that this month, and every month, you (Pastors) will be able to experience the times of refreshing and spiritual renewal necessary for continued success in ministry. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I do believe the way this will happen, sir/ma’am, is for those you lead to take on more of an active role in support of your vision as given by God. This will potentially allow you to spend more time seeking God for a fresh Word and less time counseling and correcting what, most of the time, should already have been settled.
You may say, “Well Derek it’s easy to talk about all this good stuff, but not so easy to make happen.” I understand. I have learned that pastors receive an abundance of joy when the lives of those they lead express the benefit of sound biblical preaching and teaching. I am in hopes that these words will reach a wide enough audience to where we can close the gap on some of the difficulties people face with embracing the vision.
O.K. here is the plan everyone. Let us do something nice for our pastors. Let us all pray for spiritual maturity. I believe it is a worthy request. King Solomon requested wisdom and knowledge from God instead of riches and long life (2 Chronicles 1:2-13; 1 Kings 3:5-14). The scriptures exhort us to ask God for wisdom if we lack it (James 1:5-6). Moreover, while you are receiving your special endowment from the Lord, run out to your local Christian bookstore and obtain a gift certificate for your pastor. Pastors love books. God bless you!
Author, speaker, musician DEREK E. EURALES, Jr., loves to share his faith, motivation, and music. His book, Principles of Christian Living, has become a “must read” for believers of all ages. To order your copy, click here.