YOU ARE ALSO A LEADER OF GOD'S PEOPLE

Proclamation:

"Be strong and very courageous.  Be careful to obey all the law My servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.  Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be prosperous and successful.  Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:7-9 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words, which were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, are thought to have been written by the Prophet Joshua himself.  Here Joshua conveys what The Lord God said to him.  After the death of Moses,  The Lord said to Joshua, "Moses my servant is dead.  Now then ... As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Joshua 1:1-5)  Joshua was to lead the people into the promise land.  These were the words of encouragement and the directions that The Lord spoke to him.  God chose Joshua to lead His people.

Application:

Pastors and preachers are not the only ones to lead God’s people.  If anyone follows you, listens to your advice, and if what you say or do influences their behavior, then you are also a leader.  If any of the people who follow you are believers then you are also a leader of God’s people.  As such you have the responsibility to say and do the right thing, so as not to lead them astray.  The best way to do that is to be sure that you follow The Word of God.  Read, study, meditate, think about, recite, talk about, and live God's Word, and you will be prosperous, successful, and a good leader of God’s people because God will be with you wherever you go.

INFLUENCE FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

Proclamation:

"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish.  And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14 (NIV)

Explanation:

There is some debate among Bible scholars as to the human author of this Book of The Bible, but the influence of The Holy Spirit of God is present revealing how God can use ordinary people to accomplish His purpose.  Through a series of unlikely events, Esther, a beautiful Jewish girl who had been raised by her cousin Mordecai, had married King Xerxes, King of Persia and Media, and become Queen.  Mordecai found out about the plot to kill the king and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king.  Somehow the king honored Haman for this, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles.  All of the people were to kneel down and pay honor to Haman, for the king had commanded it.  But Mordecai would not kneel down.  Haman learned that Mordecai was Jewish and wanted to kill all Jews because of his disrespect. (Ester 3:5-6)  Mordecai sent word to Esther to beg the king for mercy and plead with him for her people.  Going before the king without being summoned by him could cost Esther her life.  Esther did as Mordecai had requested and the Jews were spared, and Haman was eventually hanged in the gallows which he had ordered built to hang Mordecai. (Esther 7:10)

Application:

Sometimes we are placed in positions of influence and need to speak up for what we believe.  There is a cost associated with taking a stand and speaking up, but there is also a cost for keeping silent when we should speak up and for not helping others when we could.  In our circles of family, friends, and co-workers, we all exercise some influence through our advice and opinions.  Let each of us speak up for Christ and make sure that our advice and opinions are solidly Bible based as we attempt to help others.  It is very possible that the events of our lives, the lessons learned, and the blessings received have prepared us to be in position that we are in "... for such a time as this" in order that we might be a blessing to others.  Let us pray to God that we use our influence wisely.

May God Bless Us And Enlarge Our Territory

"Jabez cried out to The God of Israel, 'Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory!  Let Your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.'  And God granted his request."  1 Chronicles 4:10 (NIV)

Jabez, a son in the genealogy of Judah (Levi), the fourth son of Jacob, who the Bible records was more honorable than his unnamed brothers (1 Chronicles 4:9), prayed that God would bless him, increase his influence and allow him to prosper in all of his endeavors.  He also wanted the hand of God to be with him, to lead, guide, direct, protect, and strengthen him.  God blessed Jabez and gave him what he asked for.

We know that God hears and answers the prayers of the righteous.  If we want the favor of God's blessings, then we need to be more obedient to His Word.  We should pray like Jabez prayed and ask God to keep His hand on us, to lead, guide, direct, protect, and strengthen us as we go about doing His work.  If we do that, then we just might have more influence and success with people as we spread The Word of God.  The Bible does not say exactly how successful Jabez was, but there was a city named Jabez where the scribes dwelt that was probably named after him.  (1 Chronicles 2:55)  There is no limit to how influential, successful, and prosperous we could become if the hand of God is on us.

Influence For Such A Time As This

"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14 (NIV)

Through a series of unlikely events, Esther, a beautiful Jewish girl who had been raised by her cousin Mordecai, had married King Xerxes, King of Persia and Media, and become Queen. Mordecai found out about the plot to kill the king and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king. Some how the king honored Haman for this, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. All of the people were to kneel down and pay honor to Haman, for the king had commanded it. But Mordecai would not kneel down. Haman learned that Mordecai was Jewish and wanted to kill all Jews because of his disrespect. Mordecai sent word to Esther to beg the king for mercy and plead with him for her people. Going before the king without being summoned by him could cost Esther her life.

Some times we are placed in positions of influence and need to speak up for what we believe. There is a cost associated with taking a stand and speaking up, but there is also a cost for keeping silent when we should speak up and for not helping others when we could. In our circles of family, friends, and co-workers, we all exercise some influence through our advice and opinions. Let each of us speak up for Christ and make sure that our advice and opinions are solidly Bible based as we attempt to help others.

It is very possible that the events of our lives, the lessons learned, and the blessings received have prepared us to be in position that we are in "... for such a time as this." Pray to God that you use your influence wisely.