Sep
4
Know It
Filed Under Devotional
I’ve been listening and reading many of the speeches over the last two weeks. There have been an awful lot of words about what makes a good leader. Of course, each side is trying to make the point that their candidate has precisely what you need and the other guy doesn’t. During all of this, I have read many lines that make me shake my head because they just don’t jibe with reality. Either the speaker doesn’t know the law, doesn’t know the Constitution, or assumes the audience is ignorant. Any of those choices is insulting in a candidate or spokesman.
I appreciate those who speak of carrying a copy of the Constitution in their pocket every day. Some who say that make me wonder if it’s the same one I use, but I do respect the idea that they are attempting to work within the original rules laid down by the Founding Fathers.
I thought of this need for our leaders to know the law as I read the directions God gave to Israel through Moses before entering the Promised Land. This passage is about how kings should act.
“When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.” Deuteronomy 17:18-20
A king should know the law backwards and forwards. He should know this so that he won’t consider himself above the law or better than his citizens. This certainly sounds like sage advice for our next President.
How does this apply to you? I’m glad you asked. If you are a man, you are likely acting as a leader at work, at home, at church, or elsewhere. If you aren’t leading now, you probably will someday. My point is that this is good advice for all of us. Know the Word as much as possible.
Know it so you won’t consider yourself exempt from it in any way.
Know it so that you won’t think of yourself as better than anyone else.
Know it so that you can prosper.