The Loneliest Guy in Town

Daily Reading: Amos 1

The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa. (Amos 1.1)

Devotional Thought: "The loneliest guy in town."  That was the byline of a series of Maytag commercials, bemoaning the fact that their repairmen had little to do!  But Maytag repairmen are not the only lonely guys in towns. 

Ancient shepherds had lonely jobs.  Often isolated and misunderstood, they were unable to develop friendships due to their distance from others.  Shepherds, though, needed friends just like anybody else.  They needed someone like Amos, to “be among them.”

Pastors are spiritual shepherds, and just as those ancient shepherds were lonely, Pastors, too, are lonely.

It is an honor to be a friend to pastors. I enjoy listening to them, laughing with them, crying with them, praying with them, encouraging them, and so on. When I was a young pastor (shepherd) a few pastors reached out to me and showed an interest in me, my family, my ministry and what I was facing. They listened to me. They encouraged me. They prayed with me. They became my friends.  I knew then that God wanted me to be the type of pastor (shepherd) that would also be a friend to pastors.  And for me, the size of someone’s church, the location of the pastor, or his or her age didn't matter.  What mattered then and still matters today is to be “among the (pastor) shepherds” to encourage them, pray for them and be their friend.

Would you join me and others by being a real friend to a pastor? You just might keep them from being "the loneliest person in town”.  Your care of them will make an eternal difference.

Mike Blankenship

Prayer: O Lord, you are my Shepherd, and I thank you for loving me and caring for me.  I also thank you for pastors, who shepherd our souls.  I pray for pastors - especially my pastor - that they would have deep and meaningful communion with you, but also that they would have friends to stand beside them in their lonely hours.  Help me to be such a friend.  In the name of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, I pray.  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 97.8-12

8 Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoice, because of your judgments, O Lord. 9 For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. 10 O you who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked. 11 Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. 12 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!