Department of human resources
1 Chronicles 12: Hardly a day went by without men showing up to help ā it wasnāt long before his band seemed as large as Godās own army!
Davidās cause is a just one. Heās been open and honest and faithful. Still, King Saul knows that his throne is, in reality, Davidās. Heās done nothing but be loyal to Saul yet he finds himself named public enemy number one. David withdraws simply to save his own life. However, like a magnet, he begins drawing fellow outcasts. Saul canāt find David, but everyday people just show up and ask to join him. Before long, he commands a force to be reckoned with and some of the great warriors of history are numbered among Davidās band. Howād this happen? I think Godās finger prints are all over this. The Lord picked David and now the Almightyās building his team for the work to be done. Many years later Davidās most famous descendant has surrounded himself with twelve good men. Still, thereās much to do. A great harvest beckons, but more workers are needed. Jesus tells his core group to pray that the Father will send more harvest workers. In Davidās day people who probably werenāt even sure how they found him just showed up to join his cause. In the Gospels, Jesus puts out a call for harvest workers. Maybe we church leaders should take note of what happens here. If weāre doing what God wants done, heāll supply the people to do it. The Lord doesnāt use up human resources so we can do what we want to do. However, as we see in Davidās case, he has an abundant supply of people to help us do what he wants done.
Take Away: If weāre faithful to the Lord heāll supply the resources necessary for us to do what he wants done.
Tag: leadership
Devotional on 1 Chronicles
Anointed worship leaders
1 Chronicles 16: That was the day that David inaugurated regular worship of praise to God, led by Asaph and his company.
Having secured his hold on Israel and having brought the Ark to Jerusalem David moves to establish regular worship services. Itās quite instructive to see the lists of, not only the mighty warriors who fought with David, but of “mighty worship leaders” as well. We thank God for those who have the bravery and skill to protect us from those who would harm us. Such people are worthy of our admiration and thanks. Here, Iām reminded that those who are gifted and trained to lead me into the Presence of the Almighty are also people worth my deepest appreciation. Also, I see here that David feels worship services are important enough to merit the appointing and organizing of specific worship leaders. That doesn’t mean that those who arenāt āofficialā can’t lead in worship, in fact, they often do. Some of the finest worship services Iāve ever seen were led by ordinary people with little formal training but who knew something about getting into the presence of the Lord. Whether a personās “on salary” or not is a poor reflection of whether or not theyāre gifted in leading genuine worship. I thank God for worship leaders who usher us into the presence of the Lord. Thank God for anointed people.
Take Away: Some people are gifted to lead in worship, thank God for them.
Devotional on 1 Chronicles
Springtime always comes
1 Chronicles 20: That spring, the time when kings usually go off to war….
Itās a rather off handed statement, said as though itās a truism that every reader will accept without a further thought. Itās springtime and the king is off to war. From here, we move forward to a few accounts of the victories won by David and his army, including more battles with big guys similar to Goliath. Apparently, the writer thinks that weāll all agree that thereās a time for national leaders to lead their nations into war. David lives in an imperfect day in which some nations are belligerent against other nations. If he relaxes, enjoying the success the Lord has given him, the enemies of Israel will move to wipe them off the face of the map. Therefore, when the weather is right, Davidās army gears up for war, knowing that if they donāt theyāll be erased by those who wish them dead. Thatās a long time ago and the world has changed, right? You know that aside from the fact that armies no longer wait till spring to do battle that the world remains a dangerous place. I know I canāt take a passing phrase from 1 Chronicles to develop a philosophy of international relationships, but I do think that this is an example of a national leader doing whatās necessary to keep his nation safe and secure. As a people of God we hate war; especially the pain and suffering it brings to the innocent. It would be better if āspringtimeā never came, but we know it will and because of that we regrettably conclude that a primary responsibility of national leaders is to prepare for war and, while all that is possible to avoid war, to respond when necessary.
Take Away: We need to pray for our national leaders.
Devotional on 1 Chronicles
Passing the vision along
1 Chronicles 22: I wanted in the worst way to build a sanctuary to honor my God. But God prevented me.
It was years earlier that David envisioned building a great House of Worship. The Lord blessed David for having that vision but he told David, āno.ā David obediently yielded but the vision never faded. Now, late in his life David begins stockpiling materials for the great Temple project. Thereās now a huge store of gold and silver and other precious building materials. David has also identified gifted stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and artisans. Heās still on the throne but heās preparing for the day when his son Solomon ascends to leadership in Israel. The King has a father-son chat with his son, expressing his great disappointment in not being allowed to build the Temple, but also describing for Solomon all the preparations heās made for its construction. Obviously, David wants Solomon to be infected with his vision. Worthwhile visions are, indeed, infectious. My enthusiasm is passed on to others who may actually accomplish more with it than I ever could. Also, Davidās preparation efforts did a lot to assure that it would come to pass. David did more than dream of a Temple; he also did everything he could to prepare for its construction. Without that key ingredient all we have is good intentions. Visionary thinking includes not only thinking big, it includes real life preparation, and an intentional effort at vision casting.
Take Away: All the vision in the world is worthless without real life application.
Devotional on 1 Chronicles
Security guards
1 Chronicles 26: The teams of security guards were from the family of Korah.
Iāve read this passage several times in various versions of the Bible, but since the sons of Korah were called āgatekeepersā it didnāt catch my attention. Now I see them being described as āsecurity guards.ā I guess thatās what gatekeepers are supposed to do: they provide security, seeing to it that all who enter are there for legitimate purposes. King David is such a multifaceted person. Heās a singer and songwriter and harp player, a skilled leader, and heās a warrior whoās won countless battles. In this case, I see him drawing from his āwarriorā skills in organizing the Levites. In spite of the peaceful conditions of the day David prepares for possible trouble. Now, it might be that the sons of Korah are basically ushers who tell people where the corral is for their soon to be sacrificed lamb but Iām guessing that David also wants them there ājust in case.ā I wonder to what extent, if any, this applies to the Church today. There have been some horror stories in the news, and, obviously, a church full of people is probably viewed as an easy target by some very bad people. Iām not seeing this as some kind of mandate, but there is, at least to some extent, a precedent here for a church to have at least some unofficial security.
Take Away: Leadership involves, in addition to having a vision and sense of direction, the ability to think through the practical concerns of the organization.
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
You can draw more flies with sugar….
2 Chronicles 10: Be considerate of their needs…theyāll end up doing anything for you.
Solomonās accomplishments are impressive…and expensive! All of that building takes a lot out of the nation. When Solomonās laid to rest and his son Rehoboam ascends to the throne his subjects come to him with a reasonable request: āgive us a break!ā For a generation theyāve faithfully served his father, focusing their efforts on accomplishing his grand projects. Now, they want to put their efforts into building their own lives, capitalizing on the prosperity Solomon brought to them. Rehoboam goes to his fatherās advisors and asks for their opinion and they agree with the people. These folks were committed to Solomon, but Rehoboam is starting new. If heāll back off and show compassion his fatherās people will become his people. These advisors wisely add that, in the long run, heāll get more accomplished by getting the people on his side than heād ever get done by using his sovereign authority and just ordering them to work. I know that Rehoboam foolishly listens to the advisors of his own generation and manages to split the country but, for the moment, Iām taken with the wisdom of the first advice he receives. I think there are times when a leader sees a bigger picture than others do. At times like that, he or she may have to prod people to move in the right direction. However, most of the time a leader who conducts himself or herself as a servant who cares for people and has compassion on them is going to accomplish more. A leader who appreciates what people do, who has their best interests at heart, and who is willing to listen to what they say is going to almost always get more done.
Take Away: People follow leaders who they believe have their best interests at heart.
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
God takes my best and makes it better
2 Chronicles 19: And God be with you as you do your best.
Jehoshaphat receives good marks for his leadership of Judah. Heās right on target in how he oversees the legal system of his kingdom. His judicial appointees are charged by the king to take their work seriously, reminding them that ultimately they must give an account of themselves to the Lord. Jehoshaphat gives a similar charge to those given authority over Temple business. Theyāre to be dependable and honest in all they do. Jehoshaphatās bottom line to these powerful people is this: āGod be with you as you do your best.ā One reminder I see in this passage is that God expects me to give my best to the responsibilities that are mine. Positions of authority carry with them an equal portion of accountability. Also, I see that my best is all that I can give. Even when itās not really good enough I canāt do any better than my best. When Iāve done that, Iāve come to the end of myself and Iāve done all the Lord expects of me. At that point, my best may be seen as acceptable by others or it may be time for me to move on, handing the responsibility over to someone else, but I have no reason to be ashamed when Iāve given all I have to give. Finally, though, thereās good news here. Godās help is promised. When Iāve done all I can do and, frankly, it isnāt enough, rather than coming to the end, I might just come to the beginning; that is, the beginning of God. He delights in taking unlikely people and using them to accomplish great things like killing giants or feeding thousands. Itās pretty cool. I bring my best to the table, as meager as that might be, and then God steps in, lifting me and what I have to offer to dizzying new heights. Rather than ending up humbly handing the keys over to some more capable person, I sometimes find myself amazed at what God has done.
Take Away: The Lord delights in using unlikely people.
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
I was w-w-w-wrong
2 Chronicles 25: But what about all this money ā these tons of silver I have already paid out to hire these men?
The āchroniclerā starts off telling us that Amaziah ālives wellā and ādoes the right thingā and then begins an accounting of all the foolish blunders he makes. Itās likely that Amaziah handled things just fine until things begin to unravel near the end of his reign. At one point heās preparing for war. After numbering his army he concludes that he needs more soldiers so he turns to Israel for help, paying a great deal of money to mercenary soldiers to fight on his side. However, the Lord sends word to him that this is a huge mistake. These soldiers wonāt be helped by the Lord because they donāt trust in him. Amaziahās response is reasonable. He wants to know about all the money heās already spent on these fighters. The man of God reminds him that itās better to have Godās help than it is to have a bigger army. The king yields, writing off the wages already spent as a bad investment. This account doesnāt earn Amaziah stellar marks, but it does earn him a passing grade. Failure, in this case, would have been throwing good money after bad. The lesson here is one well learned. Those of us who are of a strong will tend to lock our jaws and press on even when itās more and more apparent that we shouldnāt have started down a certain path in the first place. Our argument is the same one the king used: āIāve come too far and invested too much to turn back now.ā No one believes in perseverance more than I do, but sometimes perseverance is just a flimsy cover up for pride. At some point a heaping helping of humble pie is in order. āI thought I was right and that this would work, but I was wrong.ā Write it off and get on with life.
Take Away: Better to write off a loss than to compound the situation by doubling down on a bad decision.
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
The chief cheerleader
2 Chronicles 30: Hezekiah commended the Levites for the superb way in which they had led the people in the worship of God.
The religious reform under Hezekiah rivals the great events of David and Solomonās reigns. The newly refurbished Temple and the eager and capable work of those who serve there make for an impressive and satisfying worship experience for all that come. When the big celebration ends, Hezekiah makes it a point to go to the Levites and commend them for their superb work. In this, I see Hezekiah not only leading in vision and agenda but in thanks and appreciation as well. Good leaders do that. I do note that Hezekiah calls their work āsuperbā because thatās what it is. He isnāt some cheerleader who shouts out āWeāre number oneā when the teamās behind by 30 points. Iām reminded though that even when the work doesnāt reach the superb level thereās probably something positive that can be said. Once the leader establishes good will the way may be opened for some constructive comments on improving things next time. So, I see in this passage that leaders should lead in words and acts of appreciation for work well done. Also, I remember that while a leader isnāt to give false praise that genuine support can lead the way to opportunities to help others grow in their service of the Lord.
Take Away: Good leaders know how to lead the way in showing appreciation for work well done.
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
The very best at doing good
2 Chronicles 31: Everything he took upā¦he did well in a spirit of prayerful worship.
Hezekiah gets considerable mention in the Chronicles version of the history of Godās people, and with good reason. Heās said to be the āvery bestā at doing what is āgood, right, and trueā before God. This isnāt some national leader who does whatever is politically expedient and then tips his hat to the Almighty when itās convenient. Instead, this is a man who makes every decision based on his desire to please God. Thatās exactly how he approaches his religious life. If a decision has to do with worship he makes that decision prayerfully. He also prayerfully builds his life and Kingdom around carrying out Godās Laws and Commandments. Judah is a blessed nation because it has a national leader who turns to God in everything he does. The result is that heās a āgreat successā and is commended by God as one who is āgood, right, and true.ā I pray that the Lord will give my nation and all the nations of the earth such leadership. Also, in my much smaller leadership role, I desire to follow his excellent example.
Take Away: Leading, in itself, can be good or bad; depending on the direction the leader is going. A leader who leads people to righteousness is worth celebrating.
Devotional on 2 Chronicles
God-centered leadership
2 Chronicles 35: The kingā¦solemnly committed himself to the covenant.
When a campfire is fully ablaze, the individual flames are generally unnoticed. However, as the fire burns down to embers, an individual blade of fire may seem to light up the entire campsite for a moment. Thatās the feeling I get as I read the story of the waning days of Judah. Most everythingās bad. Kings rise to power and then fall and almost seem to be in a competition to see who can be the most ungodly. However, along the way we meet some courageous men who, almost single handedly, lift the entire nation to their shoulders and craft, at least temporarily, a return to God. Such a man is Josiah. When the word of the Lord is discovered in the Temple he publicly vows to live according to the ancient covenant. He seeks Godās direction and receives it. Because of his desire for God, an entire generation is stopped from the march to destruction that it has been on. As I look at my own society and see the journey weāre on I nearly surrender to despair. Weāre so godless, so lost in the darkness of our own making. Still, Iām reminded that even in a dying campfire just one flame can light the night. I pray that the Lord will give such a leader to my generation.
Take Away: Lord, have mercy on us.
Devotional on Nehemiah
Easy money
Nehemiah 5: What you’re doing is wrong.
The work Nehemiah and his team is doing is physically challenging and time consuming. Not only are they working very hard, but theyāre working with defense against an attack in mind so thereās also mental fatigue. Meanwhile, life goes on. These men have families to feed and bills to pay. The work on wall is vitally important but thereās no income from it. To make ends meet, they go to the local business men for loans. In spite of the fact that the restoration of the wall is to everyone’s benefit the loan sharks take advantage of the problem faced by the workers. When Nehemiah learns whatās happening heās furious. He calls for a meeting and reads the riot act to these financial predators. Both the fear of the Lord and fear of Nehemiah takes hold and the gouging of the workmen stops immediately. What a situation! The workers face the challenging task of rebuilding, the threats of their enemies, and the greedy business practices of their fellow Jews. In some ways, this is the unkindest cut of all. Yet it often happens, even within the church. As many pull together to accomplish some worthy goal there are those who can’t see the big picture because theyāre blinded by their own agenda. When that happens those doing the real work are distracted or discouraged from their task. Nehemiah dealt with this problem head on. Our tendency is to just try to work through stuff like this. Sometimes thatās probably best, but not always. I pray that the Lord will give us wisdom to know when Nehemiahās course of action is necessary and then help us to follow it.
Take Away: If we ignore some problems they will go away, but not always. Sometimes leaders have to deal with issues head on.
Devotional on Nehemiah
Summing up a good manās life
Nehemiah 13: Remember me, O my God.
As I reach the conclusion of Nehemiah’s story I find myself reflecting on this man’s life. One thing that stands out is his leadership and vision. Even from far off Babylon Nehemiah envisions the great project of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. He organizes the work and stays on course through all kinds of distractions and discouragements. A second thing that comes to mind is his love for, and trust in, God. Nehemiah isnāt driven by desire for power or to leave some sort of legacy. Instead, his eye is always on the God he serves. Finally, I see the third outstanding thing about Nehemiah. That is his spontaneous prayer life. Nehemiah doesn’t wait until some specified time to pray, although it’s clear that he does honor the scheduled worship times. For him, prayer is like breathing; a natural and necessary part of life. In the final words of his story, written by his own hand, three times he inserts short bursts of prayer, asking for God’s favor in light of his faithfulness. I get the feeling that this is not just for the official record of his work but an example of what it was like to be around Nehemiah. Hereās a man who practices the constant presence of God in his life and it’s not unusual to hear him address the Almighty right in the middle of a conversation. This, I think, is the greatest lesson of all I can learn from this good man.
Take Away: Practice prayer until it becomes as natural for you as is breathing.
Devotional on Nehemiah
A failure of leadership
Nehemiah 13: I was angry, really angry.
Having accomplished his mission of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, and having had a unanimous agreement from the Jews there to live according to God’s Law, it’s time for Nehemiah to return to Babylon. He leaves things in the hands of those who are to keep things organized and on track. However, Nehemiah’s heart is now in Jerusalem, so he once again asks Artaxerxes for permission to return there. When he arrives heās greeted with all kinds of bad news. One man has made a deal with one of the old enemies of the Jews, Tobiah, who heās allowed to use the Temple storerooms. The worship leaders were left unpaid and have had to leave the Temple to earn a living. The civic leaders have forgotten the Sabbath and are allowing that day to be a time when business as usual is being conducted. And, the Jews are again intermarrying with the idol worshiping people of the area. Nehemiah is “really angry” about all this and immediately goes to work repairing all this damage. I can’t help but wonder where all those declaration signers are, or even more, where Ezra the priest of God is at this time. Thatās a mystery the Bible doesn’t solve for us. However, the rest of it is pretty easy to understand. Nehemiahās a strong leader and when he leaves it creates a void that no one steps in to fill. One of the dynamics of the human race is that people, even well-meaning people, need leaders who not only cast a vision and oversee the pursuit of that vision, but, even after the fact, provide a compass that keeps things moving in the right direction. This doesn’t excuse those civic and other leaders for their failure, in fact, they should have provided some of that “God-centered” energy themselves. Reading this story is a real life lesson in leadership. It also reminds me of the importance of my staying focused, even when the biggest part of the project has already been done.
Take Away: Even when the biggest part of the work is done there remains the danger of losing focus and giving up gains that have been made.