Good Morning Friends,
“‘Does it make you a king to have more and more
cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He did what was right and just,
so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so
all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?’ declares the LORD. ‘But
your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain, on shedding innocent
blood and on oppression and extortion.’” (Jeremiah 22:15-17)
By what criteria should we judge a king?
Obviously, Americans don’t live in a land with a king. Instead, we have a
president, governors and other elected officials. I think the same criteria for
judging their leadership would apply. What makes a leader a good leader –
that’s the question?
There are ways the world judges a man’s power,
position, and value. The question in Jeremiah’s day was, “How much cedar does a
king have?” That is a question about a king’s material wealth, the grandeur of
his palace and the other buildings by which the king is known. Wealth, titles,
the ability to command others, the ability to get things done, the power of the
king’s army … those are all criteria that are used to judge the success of a
leader.
None of those are God’s criteria – and none
should be ours when we look at the success of a leader.
“He defended the cause of the poor and needy.” That’s
the criteria that Jeremiah sets forth as the criteria by which we should
determine the success of a king – a leader. That is what God has called all who
know Him to be doing – and that is the charge that God has given to kings and
presidents and governors. Take care of those who cannot take of themselves –
the defenseless, the poor, the widows, the disabled, the needy.
By that criteria – how is America doing? How
are our leaders doing the job that God has called them to do? How about you and
me – are we fulfilling that aspect of God’s call on our lives?
His, by Grace, Steve
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