Now I Am Keeping Watch

Zechariah 9:8 (NIV) – But I will encamp at my temple to guard it against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch.

This is a message full of assurances that God’s people will not suffer from the problems they had previously. God knows their struggles. God knows their pain. God knows what they have experienced. God promises that it won’t happen again, because He says that, now I am keeping watch!

The temple in Jerusalem was the most targeted place by enemies of Israel. They aimed to destroy Israel by killing their spiritual life. They stole the items in the temple and made it dysfunctional. They thought the God of Israel was an idol like their gods. Therefore they kept attacking the temple. They believed no temple no Israel.

It is true that if anyone’s spiritual life is affected their entire life is affected. The enemy still attacks our spiritual life. The enemies know that if the temple is affected, then our entire life is affected. The temple is being targeted by the enemy. Is your temple safe? Is your spiritual life safe? Can you survive an attack on your temple your spiritual life? How have you safeguarded your temple your spiritual life? This is where the enemy begins to destroy you and me. Guard your spiritual life!

Zechariah 9:8 (NIV) – But I will encamp at my temple to guard it against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch.

God tells Israelites that their temple will now be safe. God says He will guard that temple Himself. When we guard it ourselves we keep failing. Israel had a fierce army but their temple was still attacked and destroyed. On their own, Israel couldn’t guard the temple. 

On our own we can’t guard our spiritual lives. We may try guarding our spiritual lives with religious activities, but we fail. We try long prayers at certain particular sites but we fail. We try guarding our lives by in-depth study of doctrines until it’s so complicated that very few people even understand it but we fail. We try guarding our spiritual lives with strict ascetic living – we don’t eat this or that, we don’t dress in this or that, after having a very strict life, we fail. We can’t guard our spiritual lives.

Strict religious people around us end up to be having spiritual weaknesses. They are strict in everything but sexually immoral. They are strict in everything but short tempered and unforgiving. They are strict in everything religious but they are discriminatory through tribalism and racism. They are strict but still have allegiance to traditions that contradict the Bible. Their strictness is an attempt to guard the temple, to guard their spiritual life, but they fail and Satan keeps attacking them and winning. 

Zechariah 9:8 (NIV) – But I will encamp at my temple to guard it against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch.

The forces attacking the temple are many. Israelite enemies against the temple are many. Marauding forces. The forces against our spiritual lives are many. False teachings within the church, attractiveness of secular life, our personal weaknesses, personal struggles, etc. Marauding forces. We struggle to keep the temple safe, but the enemies are many and keep attacking from different directions, within and without.

“Just as I am, though tossed about

with many a conflict, many a doubt,

fightings and fears within, without,

O Lamb of God, I come, I come.” – The Hymn Just As I Am

Zechariah 9:8 (NIV) – But I will encamp at my temple to guard it against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch.

God told Israelites through Prophet Zechariah, that since they are unable to guard the temple, He will guard it Himself. God says He will camp at the temple. With God as guard, no marauding forces will ever succeed to attack. The temple is safe if God guards the temple.

God says to us today that He will guard that temple Himself. Since we are unable to guard our spiritual lives, He will guard it Himself. The secret is that He will camp in our lives. God tells us that if He camps in our lives, no marauding forces will attack us. We are safe if God camps to guard.

Is God camped in your life? Is God ever present in your life? Without God none of us is ever safe even for one moment. The true security is the presence of God. Go out there with the presence of God. Attend your classes with the presence of God. Meet your customers with the presence of God. Meet your accusers and bosses with the presence of God. Travel using risky means with the presence of God. The presence of God is the greatest security assurance that we have. That is why God said, I will camp at the temple and guard it myself!

Moses pleaded with God that do not let us go from here without your presence. Gideon sought a sign two times, to be sure that God will be with him. David asked God if he should pursue his enemies or not, he wanted to be sure that God will be with him. The presence of God in our lives is the impregnable security.

Zechariah 9:8 (NIV) – But I will encamp at my temple to guard it against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch.

Never again will an oppressor overrun my people. Never again will they shed tears. Never again will they lack peace of mind. Never again will they be stressed and depressed. Never again will they be on endless medication. Never again will they have sleepless nights. Never again will they wish they had money for this or that. Never again will they feel lonely. Never again will they feel spiritually empty. Never again!

It will never happen again, because God promises that, now I am keeping watch. Now I am keeping watch as you take your studies and examination. Now I am keeping watch of your health. Now I am keeping watch of your relationships. Now I am keeping watch of your finances. Now I am keeping watch of your spiritual life. Nothing will go wrong. Never again, for now I am keeping watch!

Dear God, now keep watch. Dear God, camp around me and be ever present. May these things that have troubled me, never happen again. Dear God, now keep watch, in Jesus name, Amen!

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