Week 17 Day 2
leadership has elusive qualities about it
we often assume that leadership should
inspire
encourage
lay out a plan
but in order to remain in power
leaders are often tempted
to pander to our lower nature
to promise great rewards at little cost
to proclaim victory with every undertaking
the leadership we see envisioned in scripture
has a fundamentally different center about it
it is a calling from God
and not an ego trip
it is an awareness of needing God's help
and not just a rugged individualism
it is a commitment to love the people of God
and not primarily self-praise
and because leadership involves
commitment and change
there is
the resistance and a desire to stay with the familiar
the challenge to learn new disciplines
the need to do that which we would rather not do
our Lord calls us and leads us
to see not only what is
but what still can be
to hear not only what we want to hear
but what we need to hear
to respond not only to what is interesting
but to what is true
honorable
worthy of our calling
---rus
PEACETIME
Israel's soldiers became builders.
I Kings 4 & 5
25Judah and Israel dwelt safely, each man under his vine
and his fig tree, all the days of Solomon. 26Solomon had
forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve
thousand horsemen.
29God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great
understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on
the seashore. 30Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom
of all the men of the East and of Egypt. 32He spoke three
thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and
five. 33He spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon
to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; also of animals,
birds, creeping things and fish. 34Men of all nations came
to hear the wisdom of Solomon.
2Solomon sent to Hiram, king of Tyre, saying: "You
know how my father David could not build a house to the
name of the Lord his God because of the wars which were
fought against him on every side. 4Now the Lord has given
me rest; there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence.
9And I propose to build a house for the name of the Lord
my God. 6Therefore, command that they cut down cedars
for me from Lebanon, and I will pay you wages for your
servants according to whatever you say."
7Hiram rejoiced greatly and 8sent to Solomon, saying,
"I have considered the message and will do all you desire
concerning the cedar and cypress logs. 9My servants shall
bring them down from Lebanon to the sea where I will float
them in rafts to the place you indicate. Fulfill my desire by
giving food for my household."
13Then king Solomon raised up a labor force of thirty
thousand men. 14He sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand
a month in shifts, they were one month in Lebanon and two
months at home; Adoniram was in charge of the labor force.
15Solomon had seventy thousand who carried burdens,
and eighty thousand who quarried stone in the mountains,
16besides deputies, who supervised those who labored
in the work. 17The king commanded them to quarry large
stones, costly stones, and hewn stones, to lay the foundation
of the temple. 18So Solomon's builders, Hirams's builders,
and the Gebalites quarried them, and they prepared timber
and stones to build the temple.
This Bible passage was condensed from the NKJV
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