OUR DAILY BREAD : THE DEBT OF LEADERSHIP

[cimi]

MAY 5
MONDAY


THE DEBT
OF LEADERSHIP

READ:
Psalm 86
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Save Your servant who
trusts in You!
__Psalms 86
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Examine the words of Psalm 86, and you might forget that you are reading the musings of a good leader. Kind David prayed, "O LORD, hear me; for I am poor and needy" (v.1). Then the king of Israel refers to himself as a "servant" and pleads for mercy. Think of it! This was the man God had chosen to lead His people, pleading for God's help. Wow!

As we think about the role of leaders__whether centuries ago or today__it's vital that we review what leadership means. According to business and author Max De Pree, whose leadership moved his company near the top of the Fortune 500: "The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor. That sums up the progress of an artful leader." Those two words, servant and debtor, describe David's view of himself as he asked God for help during his time of leadership.

All of us who are in a leadership position__whether leading a family, a church, a classroom, or a business__need the humble words of Psalm 86 as our guide. The "poor and needy" (v.1) servant-leader who trusts God is the one who, in the end, can say as David did. "You, LORD, have helped me and comforted me" (v.17). __Dave Branon
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``````````````````Controlling other people's lives`````````````````
```````````````````Is not a godly leader's trait;```````````````````
`````````````````But serving other people's needs`````````````````
```````````````Is what the Lord considers great. __Sper````````````
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The only leaders qualified to lead
are those who have learned to serve.

****************Today's Bible Reading __ Psalm 86****************

1 Bow down Your ear, O
LORD, hear me; for I am
poor and needy. 2 Preserve
my life, for I am holy; You
are my God; save Your
servant who trusts in You!

3 Be merciful to me, O Lord,
for I cry to You all day long.

4 Rejoice the soul of your
servant, for to You, O Lord,
I lift up my soul. 5 For You,
Lord, are good, and ready to
forgive, and abundant in
mercy to all those who call
upon You.

6 Give ear, O LORD, to my
prayer; and attend to the
voice of my supplications.

7 In the day of my trouble I
will call upon You, for You
will answer me.

8 Among the gods there is
none like You, O LOrRD; nor
are there any works like Your
works. 9 All nations whom
You have made shall come
and worship before You, O
Lord, and shall glorify Your
name. 10 For You are great,
and do wondrous things; You
alone are god....

14 O God, the proud have
risen against me, and a mob
of violent men have sought
my life, and have not set You
before them. 15 But You, O
Lord, are a God full of
compassion, and gracious,
longsuffering and abundant
in mercy and truth.

16 Oh, turn to me, and have
mercy on me! Give Your
strength to Your servant, and
save the son of Your
maidservant. 17 Show me a
sign for good, that those who
hate me may see it and be
ashamed, because You,
LORD, have helped me and
comforted me.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Psalm 86 is one of several psalms titled, "A Prayer of David." It is
a prayer offered in a time of distress. Though the cause of David's
anguish is unstated, the sense of need he expresses (v.1) is all too
familiar. __Bill Crowder