Now, son of man, I am making you a watchman for the people of Israel. Therefore, listen to what I say and warn them for me.

— Ezekiel 33

I read a story some time ago about Alexander the Great.

One restless night he walked out of his tent to stroll through the camp of his massive army.

He came upon one of the soldiers on guard duty who was sound asleep.

After being woken up, the man was mortified, as the punishment was immediate execution.

Alexander looked him in the eyes and demanded his name.

“Alexander,” the man sheepishly replied.

After a brutally painful pause, Alexander the Great said, “It’s time for you to live up to your name.”

Ezekiel the prophet had a seriously tough job.

Time and again the Lord gave him some of the most difficult and unusual assignments that a prophet had been given in the Bible.

In today’s chapter, we find Ezekiel given another responsibility — watchman.

He now carried the extra burden of non-stop guard duty.

He was accountable to someone infinitely greater than Alexander the Great. He was accountable to God.

Watch.

Warn.

Sound the alarm.

Listen to me and tell them what I say.

Our world needs watchmen these days.

Our community needs them. Our churches need them. Our families need them.

You and I need to have them and be them — faithful ambassadors from the Lord who in word and deed bear witness to the love of Jesus.

There is no way to honestly say we love others and fail to share the Good News about Jesus.

He died on the cross for our sin. He was buried. He rose again on the third day victorious over sin and death.

The only way to have peace with God is through him.

Calling all watchmen! It’s time to report for duty.

For you

He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless spotless Lamb of God. God chose him for this purpose long before the world began, but now in these final days, he was sent to the earth for all to see. And he did this for you.

— 1 Peter 1:19-20

As we opened the front door, we were met by our daughter, who was wearing a gigantic grin on her face.

A wonderful smell filled the air. We walked into the kitchen, which was immaculately clean where the table was set with a nice tablecloth, linen napkins, flowers and candles. Instrumental jazz completed the atmosphere.

The meal was delicious and the fellowship sweet.

“I just wanted to do something special for you.” she said.

As Peter was writing to Jesus followers who were in the fires of persecution, he wanted to remind them of how much God loved them.

He was very detailed about it so they wouldn’t miss a thing.

He’s loved you from before the beginning. He spared no expense in covering your debt. He came close. No loving from a distance with God. He took mercy on your helplessness and moved with grace. Why? He wanted to do something for you.

My hope and prayer is that each of you reading this know personally the wonder of being loved this big.

He wants you to enter into it, but he respects the will he gave us, even if we use it to walk away.

Some of us, like Peter’s first readers, are in storms so thick we’re beginning to question the reality of God’s divine “for you.”

I am reminded in such times that if his “for me” is only about this life, how pitifully small it would really be.

No, from eternity past to eternity, God is for you. Storms will end, but his love has no borders.

Wiles is senior minister of Fall Creek Christian Church in Pendleton. He can be reached at 765-778-3166.