Developing Kingdom Leaders – Tom Yeakley

Taking the Mystery out of Leadership

Archive for the month “December, 2021”

God’s Resources and Power

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 2 Kings 6:15-16 NIV

There are one-hundred billion stars like our sun in the Milky Way galaxy.  Traveling at the speed of light it would take one-hundred thousand years to cross the galaxy.  Our God made it all.  He spoke and it came into existence from nothing. He has unlimited resources and infinite power.  All of creation is His and He can do with it as He wants. 

When we are thrust into situations where we need to rely on God’s resources, we often respond like Elisha’s servant.  We can be fearful as we look at our own limited resources compared to the need of the hour.  We tend to look at the visible rather than trusting our invisible, heavenly Father.  Our Father’s resources are always sufficient to meet any need. 

  • The Lord possesses all that He created.  What do the following passages say about God’s ownership of His creation? — Psalm 50:10-12; Psalm 24:1-2
  • When facing challenging circumstances, we must be controlled by faith, not fear.  What do the following passages about trusting God and His resources? –- Psalm 23:1-4; Matthew 6:25-34

Question to ponder:  What makes it difficult for you to trust in God’s resources and power?

Passages for further reflection: Psalm 46:1-3; Romans 8:31

Praising God!

“The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior!

2 Samuel 22:47 NIV

David’s heart overflowed with praise for the kindness God had shown him.  But so often our prayer time is self-centered rather than God-centered.  The Lord God Almighty is worthy of our praise.  We can praise God for who He is and thank him for what He has done or has promised to do.  Praise is worshiping, honoring, and exalting Him.  When we pray, we are acknowledging our dependency upon Him.

Praise can be done in song, like this song of David and the many Psalms of David; or it can be done in prayer.  Praising God can be done individually or corporately.  It is a deep expression from our inner being where the created one focuses on the Creator.

  • God rules over His creation as Lord.  He is the sovereign king over His universe.  What do the following passages say about God’s reign? -– Psalm 47:1-9; Psalm 103:19-22
  • God not only rules His creation, but He does so with goodness.  What do the following passages say about God’s goodness and His good works? -– Psalm 119:68; Nahum 1:7

Question to ponder:  What can you be praising God for today?

Passages for further reflection: Nehemiah 9:5-6, Revelation 4:9-11

True Friends

And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. 1 Samuel 23:16 NIV

We are people of many acquaintances, but how many true friends do we have?  We get out of our relationships what we put into them.  Those who accept us when we make ourselves vulnerable or share our inner, true selves are good friends.  David and Jonathan had such a friendship.

What does a real friend look like?  A true friend is one who listens to us.  We can open our hearts and know they will always accept us.  A true friend is loyal, especially in times of trials.  A true friend does not break a confidence-–they can keep a secret.  A real friend encourages and stimulates us to follow the Lord wholeheartedly, wanting what’s best for us, not themselves.

  • Loyalty is one of the greatest qualities of a true friend.  What do the following passages say about loyalty? -– Proverbs 17:17; Proverbs 18:24
  • A genuine friend will not betray our confidence.  They will keep a secret and not gossip about us or slander us to others.  What do the following passages say concerning breaking a confidence? -– Proverbs 20:19; Proverbs 25:9-10

Questions to ponder:  What true friends do you have? Have you expressed to them your appreciation recently?

Passages for further reflection: Proverbs 18:19; Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Relativism vs. Truth

In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Judges 21:25 ESV

Life isn’t fair, but God is.  Because God is just, He must have a standard ‘measuring rod’ with which to judge people fairly.  To be fair and just to all, this ‘measuring rod’ must be unchanging.  God’s ‘measuring rod’ is His revealed truth.  His truth is absolute and unchanging. It is the Bible!

The Word of God, the Bible originated from God and is truth because God is truth and in Him there is no falsehood.  If we saturate our minds with God’s truth, the Scriptures, we will be able to think God’s thoughts.  The Holy Spirit, God himself, who lives within all believers, will use His Word to guide us and keep us from the traps of our enemy, the devil.

  • Truth is absolute, not relative.  What is truth today will also be truth tomorrow, for truth does not change with time or context.  What does God say about truth in the following passages? — John 14:1,6,16-17; John 16:13-15
  • God will judge people based upon their response to His revealed truth.  What do the following passages say about God’s judgment of mankind? — Romans 1:18-20; Romans 2:1-2,8; Romans 3:21-26

Question to ponder:  Why can you trust God to do what is right when He judges people?

Passages for further reflection: Luke 12:47-48; Revelation 21:11-15

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