Word Study for Today: The Book of Psalms Chapter 52.
Devotion: TELL IT!
Text: Jeremiah 26:1-6. | Acts 20:17-31. | Matthew 28:16-20.
God raised servants (shepherds, watchmen, prophets), as His eyes to watch over His flock (sheep); as well as to be His voice TELLING them what He chooses to communicate. Jeremiah 1:17(NLT), the Lord commissioning Jeremiah said==> ““Get up and prepare for action. Go out and tell them everything I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, or I will make you look foolish in front of them.”
God’s messengers (His shepherds, watchmen, prophets) are to TELL EVERYTHING the Lord has sent them without fear.
Matthew 28:20(popularly known as the great commission), Jesus commissions His disciples to >18)…“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19)Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20)Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””
To ‘teach’ them is to tell people all that Christ had taught they themselves all the time He was with them amongst them, raising them.
Paul gathered the elders of Ephesus together, letting them know, the responsibility thrust and onus on every servant of God >>>“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”[Acts 20:28 NKJV]
How were they to shepherd the flock? >>> Just as Paul himself did: >Acts 20:20, 27 (NIV)==>20)“You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.27)For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.”
Paul [the servant of God], never held back in teaching the people everything he knows that will be helpful to them, he thought the whole counsel of God. He therefore made bold to say, that he held not back nor did he fall short in performing the very responsibility of the servant of God assigned over His flock. He challenged the Ephesus church leaders to follow suit; for this is the commission received from God. >Matthew 10:24-25a (NKJV)==>24)“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25)It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master…”
Apostle Paul again, to the Philippians he admonished >“The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”[Philippians 4:9 NKJV]. What were these things? It boiled down majorly, to same what he said in Acts 20:27b >…proclaim to you the whole will of God.”
Jeremiah even at the risk of being put to death, declared the counsel of God as sent >Jeremiah 26:2 (NIV)==>““This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard of the Lord’s house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the Lord. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word.”
Servant of God/child of God… the core responsibility of God’s chosen, is to TELL IT[declare/proclaim/speak/preach], His whole Will (counsel of God). No other agenda. What He says, you are bound to say. Paul said >the things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do! To Jeremiah it was said Go out and TELL THEM EVERYTHING I TELL YOU TO SAY.
>Ezekiel 3:1, 4, 10 (NIV)==>1)“And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.”4)He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them. 10)And he said to me, “Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you.”
>Ezekiel 3:18-19 (NIV)==>18)“When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 19)But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.”
God means serious business. TELL IT/SPEAK IT/SAY IT/PROCLAIM IT/DECLARE IT; Keep not mute!
Prayer Action:
**Praise and Worship the Lord God Almighty.
**Speak in the Holy Spirit for 15 minutes.
**Intercede for every servant of God, that the word of God in their mouths will be spoken as the Lord has given them. Pray boldness for them like that of Jeremiah, to TELL EVERYTHING as truth as sent, even in the face of death.
**Pray for grace for obedience; that as the servants of God TELL IT, God’s people will obey fulfilling the very purpose for which the Lord sent the word.
**[“…Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” II Chronicles 20:20 NKJV]. Pray for yourself to believe both God and His true servants that your establishment and prosperity fail not.
We know you are blessed by this devotional. We appreciate your comments below as it blesses us right back and encourages others who might be reading this, anywhere in the world. Shalom.
