Tag: leadership

1 Kings 3:5-14

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            Solomon was a very wise king.  In this Old Testament lesson for today we understand the reason for this.  At the outset of his reign Solomon could have asked for anything from God; he might have chosen to focus on the perquisites or the power of kingship.  But instead Solomon asked for wisdom, and this pleased God.  “Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this, your great people?”  This was Solomon’s prayer, and all these millennia later he still has the reputation of being the wisest king that ever lived.
 
            As a pastor, I think there is no greater prayer I could pray than this.  Rather than choosing to focus prayers and ministry on bigger budgets, more attendance, and adding on building space, I can make the choice to pray for wisdom.  Solomon’s request was borne out of a clear realization of who God is (the One who shows steadfast love) and who he himself is (“I am but like a little child”).  God’s greatness and Solomon’s humility collided in a wonderful prayer for discernment to carry out God’s will on earth.
 
            In this time of year in which it is vogue to make New Year’s resolutions based upon the individual’s willpower, let us take a different approach.  Let us pray and invite God to do the kind of deep change in our lives that is needed in order to live well and do God’s will.  May we pray for discernment to serve well, and ask for wisdom to be good stewards of our callings from God.
            O LORD, my God, give me a mind and heart of wisdom so that I might rightly discern good and evil, right and wrong, and the best decisions to made in every situation.  I choose to walk in your ways to the glory of Jesus Christ through the power of your Spirit.  Amen.

Nehemiah 8:1-12

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment
            Under the leadership of Nehemiah, many of the Israelite exiles returned to Jerusalem from captivity.  Nehemiah did an incredible work of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem so that the people were safe once again.  But that was only the physical dimension of the massive rebuilding effort; the people needed to be spiritually restored, as well.  The priest and scribe, Ezra, was at the forefront of a great revival.  At the center of the Jewish renewal was the Law of God.  The people gathered in order to hear Ezra read God’s Word to them from early morning to midday.  While Ezra read the Book of the Law, other priests were among the throng of people and helped them to understand it while they listened.  As the ESV puts it, these priests “gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.”
 
            The people clearly needed help in making sense of God’s Word.  And as they understood the meaning of what was read, they wept and repented and dedicated themselves afresh to faithful living before their God. The need for all of God’s people to make sense of the Bible is no less true today.  The path to living intelligent and informed Christian lives will come by having clear insight into God’s Word so that we may walk with clarity and confidence, knowing the will of God in all things.
 
            A craving to know the revealed words of God is at the heart of any church revitalization.  An ardent desire to understand the Bible will be at the center of spiritual revival in our own time and place.  A longing for knowledge of the Scriptures is imperative to contemporary renewal.  Committing ourselves to a daily regimen of Scripture-reading is most necessary to a healthy spiritual life.  Teachers who help bring God’s Word to light are a great gift to the Body of Christ.
            O God, raise an entire generation of people who seek to know you and your Word.  Set apart gifted men and women for your service so that there will be teachers who help others make sense of what you want us to do.  Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.