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Day 8: Who Counsels Great Leaders?

Posted in King of All Nations series, tagged , on October 3, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Day Eight

Word:  Psalm 27 (NLT)

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
    so why should I tremble?
2 When evil people come to devour me,
    when my enemies and foes attack me,
    they will stumble and fall.
3 Though a mighty army surrounds me,
    my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked,
    I will remain confident.

4 The one thing I ask of the Lord—
    the thing I seek most—
is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
    delighting in the Lord’s perfections
    and meditating in his Temple.
5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come;
    he will hide me in his sanctuary.
    He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
6 Then I will hold my head high
    above my enemies who surround me.
At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,
    singing and praising the Lord with music.

7 Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
    Be merciful and answer me!
8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
    And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
9 Do not turn your back on me.
    Do not reject your servant in anger.
    You have always been my helper.
Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,
    O God of my salvation!
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
    the Lord will hold me close.

11 Teach me how to live, O Lord.
    Lead me along the right path,
    for my enemies are waiting for me.
12 Do not let me fall into their hands.
    For they accuse me of things I’ve never done;
    with every breath they threaten me with violence.
13 Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
    while I am here in the land of the living.

14 Wait patiently for the Lord.
    Be brave and courageous.
    Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

.

David, the poet of these words, is better known for the pastoral Psalm 23, a song of shepherds, green pastures, and still waters. His was, however, a violent life! He faced mortal danger even as a shepherd when attacked by lions and bears, not to forget his battle with the giant Goliath who promised to feed his flesh to the birds and wild animals (1 Samuel 17). David’s success in battle made him an enemy of the reigning king, who hunted him relentlessly for years. David hid in caves, faked insanity, and lived in exile in order to survive.

Even after becoming king, it took seven years to secure his throne, only to have it seriously threatened later by his own son Absalom.  So bloody were David’s hands that the God he served denied him his deep desire to build the first permanent temple in his honor (1 Chronicles 17:4; 1 Kings 5:3).

Psalm 27 are the words of a national leader who is always under attack from “evil people,” “enemies,” even “mighty armies.” Where does the Commander-in-Chief, the King, turn when he is afraid, when he trembles, when those closest to him abandon or betray him?

King David said he finds sanctuary in the house of the Lord, his fortress! Not only does he find security there, he also finds counsel and instruction:

                My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” . . . . Teach me how to live, O Lord.  Lead me along the right path . . . .”

Great leaders seek counsel and instruction, finding their confidence and security not in themselves and their own power, but in the only real Power and Authority.  And they have enough confidence to wait . . . bravely and courageously, but they can wait.

 

Prayer:  Teach us, Father, not to be afraid of attack or the enemy, but to find our national confidence and security in you.  And when we do not know what to do or who to trust, when our national bravery and courage are tested, give us leaders who will wait patiently, not passively, but actively wait on You.  Amen

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Day 7: Real Leaders Speak The Truth

Posted in King of All Nations series, tagged , on October 2, 2024| 1 Comment »

Word:   Joshua 23 (abridged) (NLT)

23 The years passed, and the Lord had given the people of Israel rest from all their enemies. Joshua, who was now very old, 2 called together all the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel. He said to them, “I am now a very old man. 3 You have seen everything the Lord your God has done for you during my lifetime. The Lord your God has fought for you against your enemies. . . .

 6 “So be very careful to follow everything Moses wrote in the Book of Instruction. Do not deviate from it, turning either to the right or to the left. 7 Make sure you do not associate with the other people still remaining in the land. Do not even mention the names of their gods, much less swear by them or serve them or worship them. 8 Rather, cling tightly to the Lord your God as you have done until now.

9 “For the Lord has driven out great and powerful nations for you, and no one has yet been able to defeat you. 10 Each one of you will put to flight a thousand of the enemy, for the Lord your God fights for you, just as he has promised. 11 So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

12 “But if you turn away from him and cling to the customs of the survivors of these nations remaining among you, and if you intermarry with them, 13 then know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive them out of your land. Instead, they will be a snare and a trap to you, a whip for your backs and thorny brambles in your eyes, and you will vanish from this good land the Lord your God has given you.

14 “Soon I will die, going the way of everything on earth. Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord your God has come true. Not a single one has failed! 15 But as surely as the Lord your God has given you the good things he promised, he will also bring disaster on you if you disobey him. He will completely destroy you from this good land he has given you. 16 If you break the covenant of the Lord your God by worshiping and serving other gods, his anger will burn against you, and you will quickly vanish from the good land he has given you.”

Joshua began his life as a slave.  When Moses first brought God’s message of freedom to his people, Joshua, even though a very young man, was such a believer that he became Moses’ assistant (Numbers 11:28). He observed Moses lead the nation for forty years, watching the people being disloyal, disrespectful, even rebellious toward not only Moses, but Yahweh, the Power and Authority from whom Moses drew his power and authority.

God, not Moses, chose Joshua to become the second leader of the nation (Numbers 27, Deuteronomy 3). Moses had been chosen to mold the liberated slaves into a nation, so his main tasks were to give them their defining law and teach them about Yahweh.  The next leader Joshua would need to be the nation’s Commander-in-Chief, leading them into battle—a very different role from Moses.  Moses’ parting instructions to Joshua were to obey the Book of Instructions and to be strong and courageous—not afraid! If Joshua would do this, then he would succeed.

Now decades later, as an old man seeing the end of his term, Joshua directs the nation into their future without him with the exact same words: “So be very careful to follow everything Moses wrote in the Book of Instruction.” What Joshua contributes to the national message, however, is extremely important. He reminds them of their history, their recent experiences with Yahweh as their God: “You have seen everything the Lord your God has done for you during my lifetime. . . .  Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord your God has come true.”

As Moses and Joshua both displayed, great leaders are not only strong, courageous, and unafraid, but they also know the value of history and the national experience. Moses and Joshua passed down a respect for the law and a warning for those who would abandon both the law and/or the God whose Power and Authority are the source of all power and authority.

And they told the nation the truth!  If the nation chose to abandon the Power and Authority that had brought them blessing, they would suffer the natural consequences—disastrous consequences.

Real leaders speak the truth.

Prayer:  We pray, Father, for national leaders like Moses and Joshua, who are strong, courageous, and unafraid, but who follow your instruction, who see your hand in history, and who will speak the truth to the nation, whether it is a reminder of national greatness or a warning of national disaster. We long for leaders who acknowledge your Power and Authority and lead according to your will. Amen.

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Day 6:Transition of Power

Posted in King of All Nations series, Uncategorized, tagged , , on October 1, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The first national leader of ancient Israel Moses shepherded the emerging nation on a forty-year journey, but Moses’s most trusted assistant Joshua was destined to lead the people to their final destination. In these passages, notice the actions and attitude of a great leader when the time to transition to his successor comes. Also take note of his last message to the new leader.

WORD:  Deuteronomy 3: 21-28; 31:1-8; Joshua 1:1-9 (Abridged) (NLT)

 At that time I [Moses] gave Joshua this charge: ‘You have seen for yourself everything the Lord your God has done to these two kings. He will do the same to all the kingdoms on the west side of the Jordan. 22 Do not be afraid of the nations there, for the Lord your God will fight for you.’

23 “At that time I [Moses] pleaded with the Lord and said, 24 ‘O Sovereign Lord, you have only begun to show your greatness and the strength of your hand to me, your servant. Is there any god in heaven or on earth who can perform such great and mighty deeds as you do? 25 Please let me cross the Jordan to see the wonderful land on the other side, the beautiful hill country and the Lebanon mountains.’

26 “ . . . . ‘That’s enough!’ he declared. ‘Speak of it no more. 27 But go up to Pisgah Peak, and look over the land in every direction. Take a good look, but you may not cross the Jordan River. 28 Instead, commission Joshua and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead the people across the Jordan. He will give them all the land you now see before you as their possession.’

31 When Moses had finished giving these instructions to all the people of Israel, 2 he said, “I am now 120 years old, and I am no longer able to lead you. The Lord has told me, ‘You will not cross the Jordan River.’ 3 But the Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you. . . . Joshua will lead you across the river, just as the Lord promised.

7 Then Moses called for Joshua, and as all Israel watched, he said to him, “Be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors he would give them. You are the one who will divide it among them as their grants of land. 8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Joshua 1 After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people . . . .5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.

6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Moses had been the sole leader of ancient Israel for forty years. In the name of God, he had challenged the ruler of Egypt and won freedom for his people. He had delivered to this new nation their new law, written by the finger of God. He had listened to their complaints and suffered merciless personal attack for years. After all of this, he, however, could not achieve the primary goal for the nation, that is, returning to, reclaiming, and resettling the land their forefathers had left four hundred years earlier.  Moses had to relinquish his position and authority just at the moment when the goal was in sight, a moment that tests the true character of all national leaders.

Rather than grasping power, Moses graciously prepares his people for transition, appoints his successor early, then prepares both the people and Joshua for his absence.

To both the people and Joshua, he gave the Book of Instructions, which we recognize as Deuteronomy, and to both over and over again, he says, “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged.” He reminded Joshua that his success depended on his submission, not his use of power.

Joshua became a great leader of ancient Israel because he never forgot Moses’ words, “the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” He was never alone at the top. The buck did not stop on his desk.

Prayer:  Sovereign Lord, bless our nation with rulers who are strong and courageous, who will not be afraid or discouraged because they believe that You are their Leader. Teach us to depend on you and to submit to your instruction all the days of our lives, and when the day of transition comes, help us not to be afraid. Amen

 

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Day 2: Choosing A National Leader

Posted in King of All Nations series, Uncategorized, tagged , , on September 27, 2024| 2 Comments »

WORD:  Exodus 3:3-15 (NLT)

3 “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.”

4 When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

“Here I am!” Moses replied.

5 “Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. 6 I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God.

7 Then the Lord told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt….9 Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. 10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”

11 But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”

12 God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”

13 But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”

14 God replied to Moses, “I am who I am. Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.

Moses was 80 years old when God appeared to him and told him that he was chosen to become the leader of an emerging nation.  Surely God could have found a more charismatic leader, younger at least, and more eager for the opportunity.

But the backstory is that God had been preparing Moses since birth for this assignment.  Moses was born to Hebrew slaves in Egypt during a dangerous time! His mother hid him from government soldiers for three months, but then could no longer protect him. She did all she knew to do, putting him in a floating basket in the Nile and posting her older daughter there to see what might happen. Pharaoh’s daughter found him and adopted him as her own son, hiring his own mother to be his wet nurse.  Now what would Moses have learned as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter? Exodus 2:1-10

After he had grown up, Moses kills an Egyptian in an attempt to deliver justice to his people. He must have felt strong, empowered, righteously indignant. He was attractive, but not yet ready to be God’s chosen leader.  After fleeing Egypt in fear of his life, he becomes a shepherd for his new father-in-law in the much-less-important land of Midian.  Forty years, he herded sheep, learning perhaps humility, learning how solitary and lackluster leadership can be. Exodus 2:11-24

These forty years were shockingly different from the first forty, but apparently necessary because only afterwards did God determine that it was time to act.  Exodus 2:25

It does seem that God had a plan both for the nation He was creating and for the Leader that He had chosen for it.

As we look around for national leadership, perhaps one of our questions could be who has God been preparing for this role?  What in his/her life’s story would suggest that God’s plan for the person and God’s plan for this nation intersect?

Even the Hebrew slaves often doubted Moses’ leadership, so it is not always easy to see God’s plan, but the more submissive we are, the less independent we desire to be, the more likely we are to find His person, His way.

Prayer:  Open our eyes and our hearts, Lord, to see those who want to lead our nation with your eyes. Give us wisdom and insight to discern how you may have prepared some person for national leadership, but protect us from mistaking our own wisdom for yours. Amen

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Introduction to King of All Nations: 40 Days in the Word and Prayer Before the Election

Posted in King of All Nations series, Uncategorized, tagged , , on September 25, 2024| 2 Comments »

 ourgodreigns-picThe history of the world is full of critical moments, moments when the fates of nations seem to dangle by the thread of a single decision, a sole ballot, a solitary soldier, most often by some seemingly random act. Lawyers and insurance companies call these “acts of God,” trying to describe events that we humans have little or no control over.  But what if these unique moments really are acts of God!

As I was reading Israel’s history along with the prophets that spoke into those times, the undeniable involvement of God in history was no surprise, but it did strike me differently this time how much God was also involved in the affairs of many other nations, raising them up, bringing them down, punishing them for their sins, and rewarding them for righteousness.

Has God withdrawn from human affairs? Is he no longer concerned about good and evil, about justice and mercy? Does he no longer use nations to accomplish his will?  I’m convinced that the King of All Nations is as present in world affairs as ever.

The current U.S. national election, especially the presidential election, has presented many Christians with challenges that don’t seem to have good answers.  I have no intention of advising you for one candidate over another; rather, what I would like to do is share with you the Word of God, especially those passages that speak about choosing leaders and about the nature of God’s interaction with nations, in order to help you discover perhaps a divine framework within which you can act and find peace about this national election as well as the international events of our times that affect all of us.

Each day, I will share with you a text, some short and others longer, from the Word. My hope is that the Word will not only instruct and inspire you, but also challenge you to apply what you hear to our own election. Unless otherwise stated, all of the texts are taken from the New Living Translation.  Some of the longer passages are abridged, which I have noted so that if you want to read the entire passage you have the citation and can do so.

The Word is followed by a few thoughts of mine on the passage which I present to you, not as exegesis, not as a homily, but rather as initial stimulation to your own listening and thinking about what God is saying to you.

Lastly, we end in a brief prayer, acknowledging that we can neither know nor obey without divine help.

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Preview: King of All Nations: 40 Days in the Word and Prayer Before the Election

Posted in King of All Nations series, Uncategorized, tagged , , on September 22, 2024| Leave a Comment »

On September 26, I hope many of you will join me in 40 days of prayer and meditating on God’s Word as we move toward the national election on November 5.  I am including a preview today so that you can know what to expect.  If you would like to join us, just subscribe to this blog and it will automatically come to you each day.  My prayer is that we gain clarity and respond to the current political situation in a way that pleases God.

PREVIEW

THE WORD OF GOD:  from Isaiah 8

 11 The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. He said, 12 “Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don’t live in dread of what frightens them. 13 Make the Lord of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble. 14     He will keep you safe.

. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

19 Someone may say to you, “Let’s ask the mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead. With their whisperings and mutterings, they will tell us what to do.” But shouldn’t people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead?

20 Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. 21 They will go from one place to another, weary and hungry. And because they are hungry, they will rage and curse their king and their God. They will look up to heaven 22 and down at the earth, but wherever they look, there will be trouble and anguish and dark despair. They will be thrown out into the darkness.  (NLT)

During elections or times of national tension, everyone seems to be telling everyone how to think! Persuasion bleeds over into defamation; rational arguments become disingenuous distortions of the truth. All parties have their polls to tell us how everyone else is thinking.  Turning to our national sources of information becomes hopeless.

The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does.  Isaiah was directing his audience, not to a political alternative, but rather to God for their truth.

If you are going to be afraid of what could happen, then don’t create or believe every conspiracy theory, don’t shudder at the dire consequences that talking heads predict, rather look to God’s instructions and teachings and ask God for guidance.  Exchange the polls for prayer; choose to fear God rather than the opposing candidate.

And how do you know which you have chosen?  Isaiah says that the people who ignore the Word of God will rage and curse their king and their God. They will look up to heaven and down at the earth, but wherever they look, there will be trouble and anguish and dark despair.

Don’t despair; look to God’s teachings and instructions.

 

Prayer:  O Father, we are surrounded by voices of despair and contradiction.  Turn our hearts to you so that we can walk in the light of truth and not be afraid.  Teach us to trust your Word above every other message. AMEN

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COMING: King of All Nations: 40 days of the Word and Prayer before the Election.

Posted in King of All Nations series, tagged , , on September 20, 2024| 3 Comments »

Both the intensity and the ubiquity of the political conversations in this election year may be unparalleled, at least in recent history.  What is most troubling is the bitter rancor of almost every conversation. Political conversations are not civil; they sound more like civil war.  Where do Christians turn for guidance?

I feel a bit like Peter and John at the Beautiful Gate, when they had no silver or gold to give to the lame man. I have no silver bullets or golden answers,  but as they did, so I would like to also offer you what I do have.

I am writing and preparing 40 days of meditations for all who need a word of guidance in this election, not my words (much) but words from God.  I am not going to tell you whose name to mark on your ballot in November, but I do plan to share with you insights from Scripture into God’s activity and will for the nations of the world.

Beginning September 26, I will publish each day for the next forty days, a series of short meditations and prayers under the title King Of All Nations. Each meditation will contain a chosen word from God, sometimes a story, sometimes a psalm, sometimes a prophetic word, but always His Words. After hearing from God, I will try to stimulate your thinking about that text with a few thoughts and questions, then I will offer you a prayer to pray as you seek clarity.

If you are interested in this 40-days of seeking God’s will and plan for our nation, you might want to subscribe/follow to this site, or you can just visit each day.

I promise that you will be challenged by the Word regardless of your current political position!

Watch for further information.  And share this with your friends. They are as concerned as you are.

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King of All Nations: 40 Days of the Word and Prayer Before the Election

Posted in King of All Nations series, Uncategorized, tagged , , , on September 13, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Last week I announced that on September 29, I would begin publishing a daily meditation and prayer for forty days in preparation for our national election on November 8.  I want to encourage you to plan on joining in asking God to speak to us through His Word about how He chooses national leaders, whom He chooses, and why countries are both raised up and brought down.

To better understand why I have felt compelled to write these meditations and prayers, I’d like to share with you a note that I received today from a European friend who shares his concerns about US Christians during this election season:

Hi Mark,

 I really think your blog-article to read from God’s wisdom during the coming 40 days, concerning the American elections is a great idea. Several christians in Europe do not understand all the comments that are being made especially on facebook mainly about _______. They understand that ______ is probably not the best candidate (ethics etc.). What does bother several christians here though are the often downright attacks on ________, also the way they try to ridicule him/her on facebook. A lot of these comments and pictures are placed by christians, even by some that we know. It seems to us that politics in the US at the moment is overtaking God’s Word of loving others, even your enemies, not wish them harm, treat another with respect, not tear them down nor ridicule them, etc.

I think that some people could even be questioning their relationships by all this outpour of negativity, made by other christians without them even realizing this. I think they do not realize how this can come across. Most Europeans seem to avoid talking about this [with Americans] because they sometimes find out it can be a touchy subject to discuss (at least with some people).

 That’s why I really welcome your plan to let yourselves above all be guided by God’s Word/Wisdom and His principles.

 

Mark your calendars for September 29 as Day 1 of Forty Days of the Word and Prayer–and share this with your friends.

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