Humility is the Key to Leadership

2 Chronicles 29; 2 Chronicles 30; 2 Chronicles 31; James 4
Click Here To Read Or Listen To Today’s Daily Bible Reading

Humility is the Key to Leadership!

Scripture

James 4

7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

Observation

Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became the king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. 2 He did what was pleasing in the LORD’s sight, just as his ancestor David had done. 2 Chronicles 29

If you have time to read 2 Chronicles 29 through 31 this morning you will see how God blesses someone that has humbled himself. Hezekiah becomes the king of Judah and immediately begins to restore God’s temple and temple worship, which the people had completely neglected. As you read these chapters you will feel the excitement build and you can sense how pleased God was with king Hezekiah and how pleased He was with the people.

There is a sad note in all of this because it says in scripture that as the runners went out to tell the people to come and worship God in His Holy Temple it is said that the majority of the people laughed and made fun of the runners:
“6 At the king’s command, runners were sent throughout Israel and Judah. They carried letters that said:

“O people of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he will return to the few of us who have survived the conquest of the Assyrian kings. 7 Do not be like your ancestors and relatives who abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and became an object of derision, as you yourselves can see. 8 Do not be stubborn, as they were, but submit yourselves to the LORD. Come to his Temple, which he has set apart as holy forever. Worship the LORD your God so that his fierce anger will turn away from you.

9 “For if you return to the LORD, your relatives and your children will be treated mercifully by their captors, and they will be able to return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful. If you return to him, he will not continue to turn his face from you.”

Celebration of Passover

10 The runners went from town to town throughout Ephraim and Manasseh and as far as the territory of Zebulun. But most of the people just laughed at the runners and made fun of them. 11 However, some people from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem.”

How sad that the majority of the people missed out on God’s blessing and missed out on the excitement that those that were obedient got to experience.

God is saying the same thing to us today through the writings of James, but we need to listen and obey. Let me encourage you to draw close to God.

Application

I will humble myself before God today. I will resist the devil. I will come close to God.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me to humble myself before You today. Help me to resist the devil. It is my desire to draw close to You today. You are my Lord. You are my Strength. You are the most important thing in my life. Help me be a strong leader like Hezekiah was when he restored the temple. I want to be a blessing to those that You have placed in my care.

Today’s "Life Journal" Daily Bible Reading can be found on Line. Click Here!