Ready to Lead

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Timothy 2:20-26

TO CHEW ON: "Those who cleanse themselves ... will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work." 2 Timothy 2:21

Are you a leader? Before you quickly answer “no,” think about it. Do you have younger brothers and sister to whom you teach things? Have you ever been asked by your school teacher to show a new kid around? Perhaps you’ve been chosen by your friends to lead the project or to captain the team. You are probably much more of a leader than you know.

Though you’re young, it’s not too soon to learn how to lead well. God often calls great leaders when they’re young. Timothy was a young leader when Paul wrote him some leader instructions.

"Paul teaches Timothy" - Artist unknown

Can you find five things Paul told Timothy a leader should do and three a leader should not do? (2 Timothy 2: 22 - 25)
Should do:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Shouldn't do:
1.
2.
3.

These instructions are still excellent advice for leaders today - young and old.

PRAYER: Dear God, please prepare me to be the leader You want me to be, now and in the future. Amen.

MORE: Prepared - Then and Now
Paul told Timothy that as a Christian worker he should “Flee the evil desires of youth.”

• If Timothy lived now and were your age or a bit older, what things do you think Paul would mean for him (and you) to stay away from?

Paul also told Timothy to “pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace...”

• If Timothy lived now, what things do you think he (and you) could do to follow Paul’s advice?

ANSWERS

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Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Pray for Leaders

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Timothy 2:1-8

TO CHEW ON: "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." 1 Timothy 2:1,2

Who is in authority over you? Do you know the name of your mayor, the people who represent you in government (member of the legislature, member of parliament, congressman, senator etc.) and your country’s head ruler (prime minister, president, king or queen)?

If your country is a democracy, your parents may be able to vote for who governs you. You may be happy with them because they treat you fairly and rule wisely. Or you may be not like them because they are unfair, mean, unwise, and even wicked.

Whomever the people in authority over us are, and no matter how they treat us, there is one thing we must do for them. We are to talk to God about them - make requests, pray, intercede* and give thanks.

*intercede: to ask or beg on another person’s behalf

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for ___________ who is in authority over me. Please give him/her wisdom to govern well. Amen.



MORE: What Should We Pray For?
Here are some prayers we could pray for rulers and authorities.*

1. Pray that godly leaders will have God’s wisdom to govern.

2. Pray that all leaders would discover God loves them.

3. Pray that bad leaders will follow bad advice and lose power.

4. Pray that leaders in lands where there is war will get tired of war and work for peace.

5. Pray that leaders who don’t follow God will allow Christians to preach the Gospel.

6. Pray that leaders who don’t know God will turn to Him.

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* Prayer ideas from the book Dick Eastman on Prayer - Love On Its Knees by Dick Eastman, Global Christian Publishers, Grand Rapids Michigan USA copyright 1978, pages 96-104

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Jehoshaphat - Teacher King

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Chronicles 17:1-10

TO CHEW ON: “They (Jehoshaphat’s officials, Levites and priests) taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the Lord; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people.” 2 Chronicles 17:9

How did you learn: to read, to do math, to play an instrument, science, nature and history?
Cross out the one thing below that didn’t help:

1. By listening to teachers explain.
2. By practicing what you learned.
3. By someone telling you to learn these things.
4. By watching DVDs.
5. By memorizing and preparing for tests.
6. By reading.

There are many things we can do to help us learn things. But simply having someone else tell us to do it (#3 above), isn’t enough.

King Jehoshaphat knew that. When he became king after his father King Asa died, he was careful to do everything he could to obey God. But he knew that for God to bless his nation, the citizens needed to follow God too. So he did more than simply tell them to follow God. He taught them God’s law and showed them how to obey it.


He sent teachers to the towns and villages with copies of the Law. It wasn’t written in books but on scrolls of animal skins. These teachers read the law to the people because most common people couldn’t read. They helped them memorize parts of it so it was in their minds and hearts. They taught them to sing the praise songs and prayers and told them about the sacrifices and feasts God wanted them to celebrate.

This was a wise thing for Jehoshaphat to do. And God honored his efforts with a time of peace.

Today we discover what pleases God when we read and study the Bible. Most of us have learned to read as kids so we can read it for ourselves. In many countries we are free to go to church, Sunday School and Bible club. Let’s take advantage of all the ways we can learn about God.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the Bible and the people who teach me about You. Amen.


SUPERSIZE IT: God-school
- What are some ways people in our time learn about God and Jesus?

- Who taught you about God and Jesus?

- What is your favorite way of learning?

- Find out (on the internet, from books or magazines) about countries where it is illegal to have a Bible and to meet for church services. How do these people learn about God and Jesus?

The Voice of the Martyrs is one web site that tells about persecuted Christians.

Prisoner alert tells the story of some people who are in prison right now for their faith in God.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Hands Off!

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Samuel 26:1-12

TO CHEW ON: "But David said to Abishai, 'Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?'” 1 Samuel 26:9

Messengers came running to Saul. “We’ve seen David,” they said. “We can tell you where he is!” So Saul took three thousand soldiers and went to the place the messengers had said.

David had his own spies. They knew exactly when Saul arrived and where his army was camped. One day David went to the hill overlooking Saul’s camp. As he peered down, he saw Saul asleep in the middle of all the soldiers. Even his bodyguard, Abner, was asleep.

After dark, David and his friend Abishai crept down the hill and into the camp. They tiptoed right past all the sleeping soldier to the place where Saul lay.

“Here’s your chance,” whispered Abishai. “God is giving Saul into your hands. Let me kill him for you.”


“No!” David said. “He’s the king that God chose. It’s up to God whether he lives or dies. I won’t lay a hand on him.” But David took Saul’s spear and the water jug that was close to his head. Then they left the camp as quietly as they had come.

When they were at the top of the hill David shouted, “Abner!”

Abner woke up “Who are you?” he asked.

“Where is the king’s spear and water jug?” said David. “You didn’t guard your king very well!”

Illustration by Annie Vallotton from the Good News Bible
© American Bible Society 1976, 1992, used with permission.

By now Saul was awake. He realized the danger he had been in and how David had spared his life. He felt bad. “I have sinned,” he said. “I won’t try to harm you again.”

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to respect and honor the people You have called in a special way, like David honored Saul. Amen.
 
MORE Respect for leaders
Saul was doing bad things. God’s blessing was no longer on his life. Still David knew that he had been God’s choice as king over Israel. David was determined to respect God’s choice.

Some people God puts over us are parents, pastors, school and Sunday school teachers, coaches. Most times those people are good. But sometimes they are bad and want to hurt us. Below are some things from this story about how to act toward people over us. Which thing does this story does not teach:

1. We should respect the people in authority over us.
2. Sometimes the people over us are bad or evil.
3. It’s always okay to get a teacher or coach we don’t like in trouble
4. God is able to care for us even when we’re under bad leaders.

Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

More Mutiny

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Numbers 16:1-7

TO CHEW ON: "Then he (Moses) said to Korah and all his followers: 'In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy and he will have that person come near him. The man he chooses he will cause to come near him.'” Numbers 16:5

The Israelites had refused to trust God to help them enter Canaan. Now they were doomed to live as nomads for 40 more years. They weren’t happy and it didn’t take long before rebellion broke out again.

This time Korah, one of the Levites (the tribe which took care of the holy things in the tabernacle) was the ringleader. One day he came with friends and 250 leaders to confront Moses. “Who said you should be the boss over us? We’re just as good as you are and God chose us too.”

“Let’s have a test,” Moses replied. “Tomorrow God will show whom He has chosen to be the leader.”

The next day Moses and Aaron came with their censers and stood outside the Tabernacle. Korah and his friends and fellow leaders came too. All the rebellious leaders stood with him, their censers full of burning incense.

Then Moses explained to them how everyone would know if Korah should be the leader or not. “If Korah lives and dies a natural death like any other person, then God hasn’t sent me to lead you,” he said. “But if the earth splits apart and swallows him, then you’ll know he is wrong.”

No sooner had he finished talking than the earth opened up right under Korah. It swallowed him, his family and all their possessions. Then fire from God came down and burned every one of the leaders who had opposed Moses. That day God showed that Moses was the leader He had chosen.


Our spiritual leaders are pastors, ministers, elders, deacons and teachers. Do we treat them with respect as people picked by God to lead us? Or do we have a Korah attitude toward them? We need to remember that if our leaders have been put over us by God, when we rebel against them we’re really rebelling against God ... not a safe thing to do.

PRAYER: Dear God, teach me how to respect and obey godly leaders. Amen


MORE: Government 101
There are different types of government. Government by one person, as the Israelites were led by Moses, is called autocracy.

But Moses got his direction from God, so their government should really be called theocracy.

When a country is governed by a king or queen, it is ruled by monarchy.

In our times countries where every adult can vote for leaders are a democracy.

- Can you name more kinds of government?

- What do you think - does God have control over who leads a church or who governs a country in an autocracy, a monarchy, a democracy? (Check out Psalm 75:6,7 and Daniel 2:21)

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Banned

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Numbers 14:1-12, 20-23

TO CHEW ON: "Not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it." Numbers 14:23

When the twelve spies came back from Canaan, only two thought they could conquer the people and move in. The ten others saw only walled cities and fierce, tall people. They were afraid and refused to trust God and Moses.

When the people in the camp heard their report, they started to grumble and cried, “We don’t want to die in a war. We want to go back to Egypt. We want a new leader.”

Joshua and Caleb tried to change the peoples’ minds. “The land is wonderful,” they said. “God isn’t afraid of those people. If He is with us, those people should be afraid.”

But the people wouldn’t change their minds. Instead they ganged up on Moses, Aaron, Caleb and Joshua. “Let’s kill them!” they shouted, and began picking up stones.

Then God’s glory came to the tabernacle and God said to Moses, “I'm going to destroy these people!”

“Please don’t kill them,” Moses begged. “Forgive them instead.”

God answered Moses’s prayer. He did forgive the people that day. But there were consequences. What were they? Pick the right answer (Numbers 14:20-23).

1. Manna stopped appearing each morning
2. None of the rebellious people would see or go into the land God had promised them.
3. An earthquake split the ground and swallowed up every rebellious person.

Rebellion against God is still wrong and still dangerous. Like the Israelites, if we don’t change rebellious ways, there will be consequences to us too.

PRAYER: Dear God, please teach me the danger of being stubborn and rebellious toward You. Amen.

MORE: Choices and Consequences
God is patient with us. He will forgive us for wrong things we’ve done if we ask Him.

Even then we will sometimes have to suffer consequences for bad choices we’ve made. Match the choice a person could make (left) with a possible consequence (right).


Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Priestly Fashion

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Exodus 28:1-5

TO CHEW ON: "Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor." Exodus 28:2

What clothes would you choose?

Match the activity on the left to the clothes you would choose to wear for it on the right:




We dress differently for different activities and seasons. Though there are no right or wrong answers to the quiz above, if you answered honestly you probably didn’t say you would wear a swim suit to play in the snow or your formal dress clothes to go swimming.

What we wear may also depend on what we think of the people we’re with. If you were picked to meet a king or president, would you choose to wear dirty, ripped play clothes? Probably not. Because what you wear says something about you and how you feel toward the person you’re meeting. Your respect for an important person would stop you from dressing in a sloppy way.

God used this rule of personal appearance when He told Moses what the workers in the tabernacle – the priests – should wear. Again God gave detailed instructions.

Aaron's priestly clothes

The priests were to wear special things – a breast piece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. These things were to be made of the best linen, using gold, blue, purple and scarlet yarn. The priests were to dress that way so that the people would give them 1.____________ (ynidigt) and 2. _______________ (ronho).

If you go to this page, you will see a picture of the priest in his robe. Click on parts of the priest’s clothes to find out more about each part.

Does your minister or pastor wear special clothes? If he or she does, we see here that it was God’s idea to set apart people who served Him in special ways even by the clothes they wear. In that way, we are reminded to treat them with dignity and give them honor. Of course that is something we should do anyway, whether our pastor wears a robe, a suit or jeans!

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to always respect my pastor. Amen.

MORE: Church Wear

What I choose to wear to church says something about how I feel toward God.

Do you agree or disagree with that statement? Tell why.

Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's.