Tag: Leadership

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Lost Favor & Unity

(Zec 11:15-17)

PRAYING FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS, CHURCH & NATION: 

May we turn and follow Jesus, the Good Shepherd (Zec 11:15-17).  #FollowTheGoodShepherd #ChooseFavorAndUnity 

MORNING WATCH NOTES:

HEAR THE PROPHET ZECHARIAH, when he draws a contrast between two shepherds (leaders): the good shepherd who bestows favor and unity upon and between his sheep (vv7–9).

The other is a worthless shepherd that looks like a shepherd, is equipped like one, but he cares little about the sheep (vv15-17). 

When a person or nation ignores or point blank rejects the good shepherd-leader, they lose favor and unity (vv10,14). What the people get instead is what they ask for: selfish, greedy and careless shepherds to lead them. The sheep suffer and the worthless shepherds will be sorely judged.

Lord, may I (we in America and in the nations of the world) open our eyes to the lost favor and the disunity among people today. May we turn and follow the Good Shepherd, God our Father, and regain his favor and our unity.

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Prophet Minstrel: An Ode (v.4)

PRAYING FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS, CHURCH AND NATION:

Never abuse the power of your influence over others (Hab 2:15-17).

MORNING WATCH NOTES:

The prophet continues his song of taunts; a woeful dirge, v.4. A graphic allegorical lyric depicts Babylon as the host of a drunken, debauched party [drunken debauchery being a Babylonian characteristic]. Her nation neighbors were forced to drink, in a drunken orgy of false promises. Then, as in the parable of “The King With No Clothes,” they were stripped naked of resources, laughed at, mocked and made the fool.*

God says, “Soon it will be your turn, O Babylon, to be disgraced. For the Lord will force you to drink full from his cup of judgment. Your glory will be turned to abject nakedness and shame. You have built towns with wood stripped from the beautiful forests and those towns are filled your murder and terror. Soon it will be you, O Babylon, who is stripped, terrorized and cut down. Your end will come in violent destruction (Pro 24:17,18). The abuse of power and privilege is unconscionable. ”The Lord is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him” (2:20).

Lord, may I never abuse my position of influence to torment those within my circle of reach.

_________

* How simple-minded it is to be made to look a fool as the butt of another’s heinous joke. But how much more deranged to be the tormentor of such a fool?