The Need for a Leader

Sometimes we buck the system and cast off restrain - the desire to have our way, our rights and our purposes pushes out God and His longing to be our King. Today's scripture reading - Old and then New Testament, reminds us of the contrast between having God in us - the treasure in our hearts and not having Him as our King.


SCRIPTURES:
Judges 19 - 21 and 2 Corinthians 4

OBSERVATION:
Today's reading underscores the need for leadership and guidance in our lives. Without boundaries and others to lead us and show us the way we can easily become lost and left to self we can allow the vileness of our hearts to emerge from within. Jeremiah records that the human heart is desperately wicked - so wicked in fact that it is hard for us to discern it on our own and thus we need the leadership of God and others in our lives to show us the way and to keep us from going "our way." Judges 19 begins with the following:

"In those days Israel had no King."
Our Old Testament portion ends with a summary statement of why the people lived the way they did:

"In those days Israel had not King: Everyone did as he saw fit." (Judges 21:25)

The passages in Judges are filled with the acting out of secret and shameful ways. This is a reminder to us that we are desperate for the Lord's leadership, 2 Corinthians 4:6; For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. and also in need of others to come alongside of us, encourage us and hold us accountable. At LFC, we have developed Life Transformation Groups that are an effective framework which allows people to gather together and accountability questions of one another - thus providing some added leadership in your journey. We were never called to do life alone - but with others and of course with the direction and leadership of God. It is clear that we are simply "clay pots" or containers so that the value is not us but what we hold and carry. As 2 Corinthians 4:7 records, "...we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. When our power for judgment is all about us - we drift and are unable to make the best decisions. When the power inside of us is all about God, leadership is present and the power to live for God is made available. Again, the children of Israel had no King. No King - meant that not even God was allowed to be their King. They were masters unto themselves. But as I Corinthians 4:2 records, Rather (then being masters unto ourselves and leading ourselves - my addition) , we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. It is allowing God to fill us - His life to become our treasure that gives us the power to ....not lose heart (I Corinthians 4:16) Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. When God is our King and our treasure we can be renewed. We are than not wasting life and energy on ways that will diminish His power in us and ways that deceive others - but we are living in the sight of God and allowing God to speak into our hearts and conscience as we (vs. 18) fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

APPLICATION:
Our lives can be used for good or evil, life or death, hope or discouragement. The choice is ours. Who is our King? Who is the one who leads and guides us? What is the treasure inside of our lives? It is difficult at times to submit to others to lead us and to God Himself - but it is essential for a productive and fruitful life. Who is leading us? If it is Jesus the King then we have the capacity to be renewed. We have the power to live in accordance with His plan and place His ways above our own. May we allow Jesus, the light to guide us and may we contend for His glory in us - the treasure - Christ in us the hope of Glory.

PRAYER:
Dear God, May I submit and surrender to you as King of my life and the hope of my heart. May you fill me with your power for my power is not enough. Fill me with your grace and give me the courage to make decisions and choices that prove that I have a King! The King is You! May people see you in me and may I be distinguished by your presence in my life. You are the treasure in my life - Amen!