Coffee With The Lord

Grabbed an apple the other day… it looked delicious!  I bit into it… first bite seemed ok… second bite?  Well, it was a disaster … it was rotten inside!  What a disappointment!

Thought about that is morning as I read these words from  Proverbs 11…

“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them… The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight, but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.  The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the treacherous are taken captive by their lust.”  (from Proverbs 11:3-6 ESV)

Jesus said much the same thing another way…

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.  You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.” (Matthew 12:33–35 ESV)

Good stuff… integrity… righteousness… is an inside-out issue!  Lord help me take care of my interior person!  I want to nurture it!  I want to let God scrub it every day!  I want to program it with the truth of God’s word!  Integrity… inside-out!  Oh Lord, work it in my life!

Sometimes – all too often, in fact – cocky, arrogant, aggressive, pushy, ruthless, and self-assured leaders get applause and recognition today in our world!

Those kind of leaders are NOT godly leaders, and according to Scripture are NOT honored and blessed by God!  In fact this is what Scripture declares…

“God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble!” (Proverbs 3:34; James 4:6, 10; 1 Peter 5:5)

Don’t get me wrong, there is a place – an important place – for “humble confidence” rooted in “faith” (confidence in God) and conscientious preparation and industrious activity.

In fact today in my Bible reading I was reminded of an emerging leader who serves as a “case study” in the kind of person the Lord can bless… SOLOMON!  Here is the account from the Bible…1 Kings 3:3–14 (ESV)

“Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father… At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, ‘Ask what I shall give you.’  And Solomon said, ‘You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you… And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.  And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude.  Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?’

 “It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.  And God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.  I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.’” (from 1 Kings 3:3–14 (ESV)

Gotta tell you, I want to be that kind of leader … the kind He “graces” – NOT the kind He resists!