The Prophet

 The prophet is a rare breed. He does not care about the opinions of men. He is singularly focused with the opinion of God. The prophet often forsakes the company of men to keep company with God. He is obsessed with doing the will of God even when it puts him at odds with doing the will of others. The prophet is both fearless in zeal and fervent in prayer. He is totally out of step with the times yet remains in step with the Lord. 

The prophet is unpopular. Some want him silenced. Others want him dead. He does not draw large crowds and often lives in poverty for proclaiming truth. He seldom gets rewarded for his labors. He lives hard forcing him to pray hard for provision and to preach hard to please God. He is not a celebrity. He prefers to live in obscurity so he can seek and hear from God. He does not seek fame or fortune. He seeks faithfulness instead. 

The prophet is not afraid to upset the status quo, to obliterate the religious routine, and to offend the top brass officials on the platform. He will not be invited to preach at conferences. He will not write bestselling books. He will be feared more than revered. He seeks not the applause of people but will endure the persecution of people. His desire is to only hear well done from his master. 

Prophets are a rare breed, but how much we need them today. We need those men of God to thunder against the evils of our day. We need courageous men in the pulpit to promote God in His holiness. We need fresh words from God and not the echoes of men. God, please raise up faithful prophets again and help us to listen intently to do your bidding.