We are called to be Watchmen

"On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen;

all the day and all the night they shall never be silent”

Isaiah 62:6 ESV

Watchmen

Brothers, this week’s Friday Flashback is a reminder on the F of Family: men of God are called to be watchmen. 

The prophet Isaiah writes, “On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent” (Isaiah 62:6, ESV). 

A watchman stays awake, prayerful, and actively engaged. He guards what is allowed into his home, his mind, and his heart. He does not drift into silence while the things that matter most are under pressure. 

Personal Trial

This has been personal for me lately. Over the past several years, a slow relational breakdown with my mother eventually became a direct call to divide my family. I was told that if I wanted a relationship with her, it would have to be separated from my wife. My wife and I have remained fully aligned that we will not accept that condition. We are one flesh by God’s design, and we will not model division and compartmentalization for our boys. 

Standing firm has been painful. It has brought fracture, misunderstanding, and questions about my motives from people outside the situation. Yet, those same people respond to my questions with answers that essentially say, “That’s just the way she has always been.” Passive. Dismissive. Tolerant of what should not be tolerated. 

You Are Not Alone

I know many men carry similar grief. Some of you are trying to honor God while navigating tension, dysfunction, or division in your own family. Some of you have made painful decisions to guard your marriage and lead your household with integrity. That leadership can feel lonely, but brother, you are not alone. Do not confuse painful obedience with wrongdoing. 

Being a watchman is not about control, pride, or hardness. It is faithful stewardship. It is refusing to let fear, passivity, or unhealthy patterns set the tone in your home. 

God Is Faithful

Isaiah 63 provides much-needed encouragement. After the call to stand watch, the people remember God’s faithfulness: “So you led your people, to make for yourself a glorious name” (Isaiah 63:14, ESV). Remembrance in Scripture is not nostalgia. It is fuel for faith.

If God has led before, He can lead again. If He has sustained before, He can sustain again. If He has carried His people before, He can carry you now. 

So stay awake. Stand your post. Remember who brought you this far. 

See you on the wall,

Russell Dorsey

MD5 Facilitator