A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day (June 22, 2017)
Where there is no vision, the people perish: (Proverbs 29:18)
We live in a world of polls, opinions, and editorials. The voices of the people and media are louder now than they have ever been. It’s prevalent at all levels. Corporate management, politics, and church leadership (just to name a few) are all subject to the same loud voices. The question is this. How much should a real leader listen to the voices of the people? How much should a leader rely on polls or the pressuring cry of the masses?
There is a very enlightening story in the Bible about what God thinks about this subject. In chapter 15 of First Samuel we read about Saul being anointed King by the prophet Samuel. Samuel also said unto Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord. (1 Samuel 15:1)
In the next few verses we see that the Lord told Saul to attack the Amalekites and utterly destroy them. Saul did attack the Amalekites but he did not utterly destroy them as God had instructed. He took their King hostage and spared some of the choice animals. When confronted by Samuel on why Saul did this we see Saul and Samuel’s discussion about this matter in the following verses:
And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal. And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king. And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. (1 Samuel 15:20-24)
Saul lost his Kingship because he listened to the people versus doing what he knew was right.
Our great contemporary leaders are usually visionaries, which I personally think is a gift from God. A visionary sees further down the road than most people. They see what things can be. They are usually a little peculiar because they walk to the beat of a different drum. Let me ask you this. Where would we be today as a country without our former leaders and visionaries like our founding Fathers, our famous inventors, or our social activists. They all had a dream!! They all saw how things could be better and most of them faced stiff opposition.
The great thing about the United States is that we still have the freedom to dream and the liberty to elect our own leaders. Some countries don’t have that. The thing that worries me sometimes is this. Do we still have the ability to recognize and follow a dreamer or are we becoming a nation that can’t recognize true leadership? Personally, I want a leader that is not afraid to follow his dreams. I want a leader that sees further down the road than we do. I want a leader that is not afraid to go against the polls and make the right decisions. I want a leader that is not afraid of all the loud voices but at the same time has a heart for God and a heart for the people. A multitude of good advisers is important but ultimately the leader makes the decision.
Gob Bless the United States of America and all of our leaders!
