SUNDAY 10TH JUNE 2018 LEADERSHIP: GOD’S PERSPECTIVE MEMORISE:

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DATE: SUNDAY 10TH JUNE 2018
THEME: LEADERSHIP: GOD’S PERSPECTIVE
MEMORISE:
And whosoever will be chief among you, let
him be your servant:
Matthew 20:27
READ: 2 Samuel 23:1-5
1 Now these be the last words of David.
David the son of Jesse said, and the man
who was raised up on high, the anointed of
the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of
Israel, said,
2 The spirit of the LORD spake by me, and
his word was in my tongue.
3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel
spake to me, He that ruleth over men must
be just, ruling in the fear of God.
4 And he shall be as the light of the
morning, when the sun riseth, even a
morning without clouds; as the tender grass
springing out of the earth by clear shining
after rain.
5 Although my house be not so with God;
yet he hath made with me an everlasting
covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for
this is all my salvation, and all my desire,
although he make it not to grow.
MESSAGE
The nature and purpose of leadership has
been misunderstood by mankind from time
immemorial, and this is the reason why
people crave for leadership positions so
much. Leadership, when viewed from the
right perspective, can be very enslaving,
because the fame and popularity that come
along with it may take away your sleep and
freedom. However, when God puts you in a
leadership position, He will also give you the
grace to conduct yourself appropriately to
meet His expectations. God's expectation of
what leadership should be is explained by
the Lord Jesus Christ in today's memory
verse. It is amazing that even the disciples
did not understand God's principles on
leadership. This is evident in the fact that it
was their agitation over who among them
would occupy the highest position that led
Jesus to explain what leadership really
means.
From God's perspective, leadership means to
serve. It is no longer news that leadership in
the Church today is out of tune with our
Lord's expectation of leaders being servants.
Some leaders use their leadership position
to oppress those under them. Proverbs 29:2
says:
“When the righteous are in authority, the
people rejoice: but when the wicked
beareth rule, the people mourn.”
It is dangerous for a leader to oppress his
or her subordinates because as they groan
and cry unto God under such leaders,
heaven will respond and the consequences
that follow might be devastating. This has
led to the destruction of several people who
held leadership positions.
Frankly speaking, from God's perspective,
leadership is synonymous to servitude. It is
servitude because a leader is expected to be
under God's absolute control, living a life of
total submission that is enslaved to doing
God's will (Hebrews 10:7). A leader must lay
aside personal freedom to take on the yoke
of Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:29). As a leader,
taking on the Lord's yoke means you have
relinquished control over the manner of
your speech, the places you go to and the
things you do. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself
had to do all these as our leader (John 5:19,
John 8:28, John 12:49). In John 5:30, He
said:
“I can of mine own self do nothing: as I
hear, I judge: and my judgment is just;
because I seek not mine own will, but the
will of the Father which hath sent me.”
If you find yourself in a leadership position,
you have to be careful of what you do with
the privilege of leading God's heritage, so
that you will not be damned in the end (1
Peter 5:1-4).
PRAYER POINT:
Father, thank You for the privilege of being a
leader over Your people; please help me to
lead Your people according to Your
expectations.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
2 Kings 3-4, Acts 8:26-40
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 12: TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET IT BE
1.Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise,
Let them flow in endless praise.
2.Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3.Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.