“Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:7).
Today is the first day of May. However, as I am writing this Daily Prescription, it is still early in April and the pandemic is raging around the world and here in the United States. Pastors are grappling with the challenge of serving the Lord and their church family as well as being a voice for the Lord in the community. I realize that these are terribly difficult days. Paul talks with Timothy about the qualifications for being a bishop or pastor. The last but not least is that he must have a good reputation in the world of the unbelievers! He is to be so living and serving that while the unsaved might hate the message of the gospel, they do not have grounds for which to hate the preacher! He is to live so honestly, so graciously, and so consistently that even the unsaved know there’s something wonderfully different about him. Now is a perfect time for the preachers of the Lord to stand strong and gracious in the Lord. Are you praying for your pastor? He really needs it, and I know he really appreciates it.
For today: Ask the Lord to give your pastor wisdom and direction. He is God’s gift to you and your church family.