WHY GOD BLESSES

 

"And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that his kingdom had been highly exalted for the sake of His people Israel." 1 Chronicles 14:2 King David learned an important lesson every leader must learn if he is to ensure God's continual blessing. He knew why God blessed him. It wasn't because he deserved it, though he was a man who sought God with his whole heart. It wasn't because of his great skill, though he was a great military strategist. It wasn't because he was perfect, for he committed some horrible sins during his reign as king. No, it was for none of these reasons. God blessed David for the "sake of His people Israel." God never blesses an individual just for that person's exclusive benefit. God calls each of us to be a blessing to others. So often we forget this last part. R.G. LeTourneau, a businessman who built heavy construction equipment, came to realize this only after God took him through many trials. Once the Lord had all of LeTourneau, he came to realize that the question wasn't whether he gave 10 percent of what the Lord gave him. Rather, the question was, "What amount does He want me to keep?" LeTourneau was known for giving 90 percent of his income toward the end of his career and was a great supporter of world missions. But the Lord doesn't bless workplace believers just for the ability to give financially. God has given workplace believers many more gifts beyond the financial. What is happening with the spiritual fruit of God's blessing on your life? Is it clogged, or is it freely flowing to others? Ask the Lord to free you to be a blessing to those in your circle of influence.

AFFIRMING NEW LEADERSHIP

 

But Moses replied, "Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!"(Num 11:29). One of the attributes of a Kingdom leader is to recognize when God is raising new leadership and be a catalyst to affirm and encourage it. These leaders also model a level of humility that God blesses. Leaders who are insecure about their leadership will put down new leadership in order to maintain their own status. The Bible says that Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth. That is why God used him as a leader to bring an entire nation out of bondage. Joshua was concerned that two young men prophesied in the camp and considered this an affront to Moses’ leadership. Moses viewed the same situation very differently. He viewed it from an eye of a Kingdom leader who modeled humility and a Kingdom focus. Moses was secure in his own leadership and so he did not need to put down others who he could construe as usurping his leadership. King Saul represented the opposite of this principle with David. The people began to see God raising David into leadership. However, because Saul had a stronghold of insecurity in his life, he was not able to affirm God’s new leader. This ultimately led to Saul’s removal. God rejected Saul because of his this. The Body of Christ is in great need of leaders who are secure in their leadership. If God has called you to be a leader, look for opportunities to encourage new leaders. As you do, God will insure that you will fulfill the purpose for which He called you.

WILL YOU ENTER?

 "Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff." Numbers 20:11a

Will you fulfill the destiny God has for your life? Perhaps you have never thought about it. God had a perfect plan for Moses to lead the people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. It's been said the hardest place to score a touchdown is from the goal line. You're almost there. But there is something about crossing over that makes those last few yards the most difficult. Moses failed at the goal line, and it prevented him from finishing well a glorious life of service for God.
The people of Israel were complaining that they did not have water to drink. It was another of many tests for Israel. Moses inquired of God and God said, "...Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water" (Num. 20:8a). Moses, in his frustration and anger with the people, began to act on his own and made a strategic mistake. Instead of speaking to the rock, he struck the rock twice with his staff. In spite of his disobedience, the rock poured forth water.
God was calling Moses to a different dimension. Moses was to use his words to speak the miracle. However, he not only lost his temper, but he also took credit and dishonored God. He used his staff, the symbol of his work life as a shepherd, to force the provision.
When we become callous, we can use our skills and abilities to force what we believe should happen. We take control. When we do this, we are in danger of failing to enter the Promised Land of blessing from God. Living in life's spiritual dimension requires patience and obedience. Beware of solving problems in your own strength. God wants to bring you into the Promised Land of His blessing. But it will require walking in the spiritual dimension.

THE WAY OF GOD

 

"If My people would but listen to Me.... Psalm 81:13 God has a specific training ground for leaders. There are three patterns of preparation that have been common among most of God's leaders. First, there is a time when the leader is separated from his old life. Consider Moses, Joseph, Abraham, and Paul. In order for God to mold and shape them into His nature, it appears that He had to remove them from the life of comfort. A teacher once said, "You cannot go with God and remain where you are." Next, there is usually a time of solitude. God often brings leaders into a time of solitude in order to speak to them without other distractions. Hosea 2:14b says, "I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her." Paul was sent to Arabia for two years for a time of solitude. Joseph spent years in the solitude of prison. Moses spent 40 years in the desert herding sheep. The third characteristic of God's preparation for leaders is discomfort. The setting in which the preparation takes place usually is not a place of comfort. Abraham traveled through the difficult deserts. David lived in caves fleeing Saul. Paul was frequently persecuted. Are you ready for the classroom of leadership preparation? If God chooses to bring you into this class, you may have one of three reactions to the events. First, you may say, "I don't need it." Perhaps you know intellectually that you do need this, but God wants you to know it in your heart. Pride prevents us from entering this classroom. The second reaction may be, "I'm tired of it." You decide you've had enough. If so, this will disqualify you from leadership. Finally, God's desired response from us in this preparation is, "I accept it." To accept it with joy is the place of maturity in Christ. God often keeps us in these places until we come to accept and agree that Jesus is enough. Is He all you need? Like the people of Israel, I think we have something to do with the timetable of our education. "If My people would but listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes!" (Ps. 81:13-14) Are you ready for the process required for being a godly leader? Ask for His grace to willingly embrace these times of preparation.

CONFRONTING YOUR INDUSTRY CULTURE

 

Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. "It is written," he said to them, "My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers" (Matt 21:12-13). Sometimes a corporate culture dictates the way business is conducted because it was established years before. We simply inherit whatever the accepted practice is. Some of these practices violate a biblical principle. For instance, some businesses withhold payment on invoices for sixty, ninety or one hundred twenty days as a form of cash management, which places a heavy burden on suppliers. Some government custom’s employees require a bribe in order to get your product into their country. One nation thinks nothing about their practice of software piracy because it has simply become a part of their culture. God never allows for situational ethics. There are absolutes in the Kingdom of God. The Word of God does not change because of culture or accepted practice. It was an "industry practice" to sell doves in the temple.  But Jesus never accepted the practice because he knew it was turning a holy place of prayer into a commercial enterprise.  It did not matter that it was an accepted practice. God calls each of us to operate from a plumb line of righteousness in our work life, no matter the consequence. Zerubbabel led the first band of Jews, numbering 42,360, who returned from the Babylonian Captivity in the first year of Cyrus, King of Persia (Ezra). Zerubbabel is also noted for laying the foundation of the second temple in Jerusalem the next year. He was a leader who managed with integrity and righteousness. He was a man who God and others wanted in charge. "Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel" (Zech 4:10). Evaluate your industry practices and make sure you are not violating God’s Word. Let your plumb line be measured by His precepts.

ARE YOU USEFUL?

 

Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me (Philem 11). Paul’s letter to Philemon reveals something about a man named Onesimus.  At one time, Paul viewed Onesimus as useless.  But while Paul was in chains he treated Onesimus as a son. Something changed in this man that made him useful instead of useless. When Jesus met Peter, he saw an impetuous man who drew quick conclusions and was very opinionated. I’m sure Jesus had his doubts about him for future leadership. However, Jesus saw something in Peter that was going to be useful once the rough edges were removed. Both of these men were simple fools in the Kingdom of God. The reference to someone being a fool was not necessarily a negative term. A simple fool, or peti, was a person who made mistakes, but quickly righted them and was restored to fellowship with God and with others. King David was a simple fool, one who made mistakes, but kept a repentant heart toward God. This is why God did not turn away from him for his many sins. The hardened fool, kesil and ewil, makes mistakes but never learns from them, is not repentant and will not listen to others. Such people can expect God's reproof to continue and they will eat the fruit of their own way (see Prov. 1:31-32). The hardened fool "returns to his own vomit." King Saul was a hardened fool, one who made mistakes and continued to do so even after realizing he was wrong. We are going to err in our ways. The question is, once we know we have made a mistake before God, do we make the necessary adjustments that will allow Him to intervene on our behalf? And will we avoid the same course of action in the future? God says that if we do, He will pour out His Spirit on us (see Prov. 1:23). When you work with people who have strong personalities but may be immature in their faith, you must discern if they are simple fools or hardened fools. This will tell you whether to invest time and resources into them.

CONCEALING A MATTER

 

"He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy". (Prov. 28:13) None of us are immune from making poor choices in our lives. David made a number of seemingly minor choices that snowballed into an avalanche of suffering, shame, and tragedy. It started when he chose to stay at home in Jerusalem instead of going out to lead his troops into battle, as was his duty. David had too much time on his hands, which ultimately led to him committing adultery with Bathsheba and trying to cover up that sin with murder.  So God sent the prophet Nathan to tell King David a story: "There were two men in a town, one rich, one poor. The rich man had many sheep and cattle. The poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he raised like one of the family. The ewe lamb shared the man’s food, drank from his cup, and slept in his arms. One day, when the rich man had a guest to entertain, he didn’t want to slaughter any of his own sheep or cattle, so he took the poor man’s lamb, killed it, and prepared it as a feast for his guest." David responded: "The rich man deserves death!" he said. "He must pay the man four times the value of the lamb because he did an unjust thing and had no compassion!" Then Nathan turned to King David and said, "You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in His eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own!’" To his credit, David confessed and repented of his sins, and God forgave him. God’s forgiveness restores the broken relationship between Himself and sinner, but forgiveness can’t make everything exactly as it was. Sin has consequences that forgiveness cannot change. David had consequences he had to live with for the rest of his life.