The position of a prophet comes with a level of authority and power that sometimes leaves us in awe. For example, the prophet Elijah confronted Jezebel and slaughtered the Baal prophets. Moses parted the Red Sea, and Jonah survived three days and nights inside the belly of a whale. These incredible stories were empowering and made us realize what incredible feats we could achieve when utilizing the power of God. However, the role of a prophet isn’t as glamorous as it might seem. Being a prophet comes with much responsibility and accountability.
As an ambassador of God, a prophet has to dedicate his or her life to living righteous and Holy. They must develop a deep relationship with God in order to understand the will He has for His people. The gift of prophecy comes with a great level of humility and sacrifice.
There are no days off. A prophet can’t just wake up one day and decide they want to take a break and have a day of rest. There is always a need that must be fulfilled. The prophet’s role never ends.
A prophet is often abused and mistreated. These complex and misunderstood individuals are sometimes taken for granted and unappreciated. This is mainly because a prophet is seen from a negative perspective.
The prophets in the Bible were responsible for warning the people of God’s impending judgment. They often spoke bluntly and confronted the sin that people were committing. Their jobs were to help the people renounce their sins and turn their hearts to God in order to avoid judgment and consequences. Many people wanted to continue in their sins. They didn’t want to be rebuked or told the sins they were committing were wrong and displeasing to God.
These people wanted to stay in their bondage. They were comfortable with sinning in secret and pretending as if their lives were in alignment with God’s will. Others didn’t acknowledge God at all and didn’t want to part from their sin to serve a God they didn’t believe existed.
As a result, the prophets faced a lot of persecution, rejection, slander, and abuse. Some of them were even killed.
Could you imagine wanting to harm or kill someone who is trying to warn you and save you from destruction?
It’s absurd but this is the mindset that people have when they’re entangled in deep rooted sins. They are accustomed to living lives saturated with sin and rebellion. Especially when that sin has been established over several generations. There becomes a stronghold placed over the minds and lives of the people. They don’t see anything wrong with what they’re doing, so it becomes a lot harder for them to depart from their sinful lifestyles.
This is often why we’ll see certain sins e.g. racism perpetuated over many centuries and decades without change.
Change is something that starts within the heart. In order for a person’s heart to change, they must hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of how Jesus Christ loved the world so much, that He laid down His life on the cross, is one that will transform man and convict them for their wicked ways.
When we understand the true meaning of love and sacrifice, we’ll realize how important it is to walk in love instead of hatred. We’ll also understand why it’s important to avoid the bondage of sin.
A prophet’s job is to encourage the people to relinquish their sin and convert their hearts and minds to Christ. A prophet also engages in spiritual warfare to break the chains of bondage off of those who are entrapped in sin that’s been securely rooted for generations.
Prophets make many sacrifices. Often times they suffer for the elect to be saved. God has called many people out of bondage to live a life that is devoted to Him. However, he knows the hearts of man. Few will accept this call.
Judgment isn’t something that people like to hear about. However, it is something that’s inevitable. A prophet’s duty is to warn the people of judgment that will eventually come. The prophet’s job is to prepare the people, so that they’ll be ready to stand before God on that day of judgment.
Think of a prophet like you would a meteorologist or a local weather forecaster. They are responsible to warn the people of a hurricane that’s approaching. Some people will be attentive and heed the warnings of the forecast. They’ll start preparing for the hurricane by stocking up on non-perishable food items; taking necessary precautions to weather-proof their home; or some might even relocate to safer destinations where they’re less likely to be impacted by the hurricane.
Others will be stubborn or they might take the forecast for granted. They’ll refuse to prepare for the hurricane because they either didn’t take it seriously or just didn’t feel they needed to. They felt they already had things in order and would be safe in the event the hurricane came.
The latter are usually the ones that find themselves in deep trouble and searching for someone to rescue them when the hurricane finally comes. By this time, it’s usually too late.
Don’t be like those who ignored the weather forecast and faced destruction from the hurricane.
Heed the voice of God’s anointed prophets and start preparing for the judgment that will soon come before it’s too late.
©2021 Quamia Ross
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