Readings for today: Deuteronomy 16-19
I’m watching a press conference from the White House and reflecting on the reading from today. As we read, "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.' And the Lord said to me, 'They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.” (Deuteronomy 18:15-18) Please understand I am not suggesting our president is God’s prophet nor Dr. Fauci nor anyone else in particular for that matter. But I am thinking about how godly leaders seem to rise to the moment. They rise to the crisis. They become the mouthpiece of God. They speak the words God gives to them. And I am thankful for our leaders and the way they are handling themselves in this unprecedented hour.
Now more than ever we need God’s prophets. We need godly leaders who will spread calm in the midst of our crisis. They will be voices of reason in the midst of all the hysteria. They will be measured and thoughtful and wise in their approach. They will resist panic. They will resist stoking fears and anxieties. They will seek real solutions and good outcomes and privilege good information over bad. Data over feelings. Truth over lies. Most of all, I hope and pray they seek God’s guidance for this cultural moment. We are living in unprecedented times. This is a unique crisis requiring a unique response and we need God’s wisdom if we are to make it through. Thankfully, God promises to give wisdom generously to all who seek Him and I am praying for our president, vice-president, senators, congressmen and women, governors, and political leaders up and down the spectrum.
But I am also praying for each one of you. Each one of us is a leader of some kind or another. The question we have to ask ourselves is will we be God’s prophet? Will we seek and speak His truth? Will we be guided by His Spirit? Will we act in accordance with His will? Will we do our best to spread the peace of Christ? To be calm in the midst of this crisis? Will we lead our families well during this time? Will we lead our churches well? Our businesses well? All those who fall under our influence well?
How does one do this? Well, one has to start with one’s own heart. One has to be at peace with Christ to spread the peace of Christ. One has to be calm in order to spread calm. One has to be wise in order to spread wisdom. This is where our personal spiritual disciplines come in. How much time are we spending before the Lord in prayer? How much time are we spending in God’s Word? Now is a great time to begin journaling simply to process what you are feeling and perhaps hearing from the Lord. Make sure to spend time in silence. Turn off your device. Refrain from too much social media engagement. Get outside if you can. Take a walk. Get more rest. Get more sleep. Do what you can to care for yourself and to let the Lord fill your tank in this season. We do not know the future, friends, but we can be confident in the One who does!
Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 20-23