Daily Devotional for Monday, August 17

Judgment on Unjust Leaders

“Then shall they cry unto the Lord, but he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings,” Micah 3:4.
When God needed a great leader to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, what qualities did He seek? Did He go to the man of great self-confidence? Did He seek the one mighty in speech and glorious in presence? Not at all. He chose Moses. God’s Word says, “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). The word “meek” here means humble or poor in spirit. (See Matthew 5:3, 5.) A godly leader requires humility to follow God’s leading and not abuse the power he has been entrusted to share with others.
Micah gives a harsh rebuke to Israel’s leaders and their disregard for righteousness and justice. Rather than serving and protecting the people of Israel, they used and abused them to serve themselves. The system of justice was completely corrupt, and the children of Israel were suffering under the hand of her wicked leaders. Should the Lord then hear the cries of those that showed no mercy to the oppressed? No He will not. In the day when unjust leaders meet their affliction, the Lord will not regard their prayers.
Good leaders need to have the heart of a servant. Jesus taught His disciples this important lesson when they argued who was the greatest among them (Luke 22:24-27). Pride and arrogance will cause God’s people to look to themselves for greatness and become selfish in their leadership. Humility is required to serve those we are leading and look to Christ as our greatest example. “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

REFLECTION
“The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way” (Psalm 25:9).

Darla Goodrum