Leadership

 

2 Chronicles 20:18-23

 

July 25, 2023

 

Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord.  And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.”  And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,

“Give thanks to the Lord,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.”

 And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed.  For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another.

Once more maybe a word study is what the Church needs, it is always what this writer needs.  The word steadfast: unwavering, persistent, committed, dedicated, loyal, dependable, faithful, trustworthy, and constant.  Church, we live in a world that uses the word love, for our wife or husband, our Children, our car, our shirt, or dress, and God.  Would you agree that just maybe we do not understand the meaning of love, and likes?  When it comes to a person whom you love and you use the same word to talk about the steak you are eating, how does anyone know what you think about them?  Now when it comes to God, His love is steadfast, He does not change, and often our actions cause us to break fellowship with our Lord, but we cannot break our relationship, for it has been sealed by the blood of Jesus Christ.  When my pastor tells our congregation we are all a mess, and so is he, it is a reminder that we often forget who we are in Christ, and try to do battle with the world on their terms.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice