Man the gates

I Chronicles 26 begins with the assignment of the gatekeepers. It names all the tribes of gatekeepers and then it wraps up with this little phrase.

 "They were assigned by families for guard duty at the various gates, without regard to age or training, for it was all decided by means of sacred lots." (I Chron 26:13)

I want to remind you today that you are a gatekeeper. God has placed you in your family, church, and community as a controller of what comes into their lives. He has assigned you to keep watch over what is allowed to enter their lives. Note what the verse said "without regard to age or training". You don't get a pass at guarding the gate. It doesn't matter your age. You can't be too young. You can't be too old. It doesn't matter your ability. God is not waiting for you to get strong enough, smart enough, or popular enough. You are a gatekeeper. Period. It was decided by sacred lots.

What is a sacred lot? For the Israelites it was simply a way to choose. Like drawing straws or eenie-meenie-minie-moe, it was totally a game of chance. Could you imagine the responsibility of guarding the city coming down to chance? Well, that's not exactly accurate. The term "sacred" means that their was a divine determining factor in the choice. Proverbs says it like this, "We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall."(Prov 16:33) As the little green aliens from "Toy Story" would say, "you have been chosen."

So what does all of this mean? It means, "Be alert." You have a duty to fulfill. And there are lives hanging in the balance depending on how effective you are in your duty. This is the weight of the gatekeeper. So open your eyes. The enemy is not trying to distract you so that you will keep your eyes focused on him and fall in a pit. He is trying to keep your eyes off the gate where hordes of enemy forces are waiting to invade. So "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." (I Peter 5:8)

God chose you. You are ready for this task. Stand strong. Bolster your faith! Be the gatekeeper. Your family, church, and friends will appreciate it. Even if they never notice. You are a gatekeeper.