Morning Dew

Key Passage

Key Text: 1 Chronicles 14:2 – “And David perceived that the Lord had established and confirmed him as king over Israel, for his kingdom was exalted highly for His people Israel’s sake.”

Africa seems to have drawn the short straw when it comes to leaders. This has often puzzled me and I have agonised over this issue for many seasons, hoping to find the root cause, so one can know what to do to change it. If we are to believe John Maxwell, then ‘everything falls and rises on leadership’. So the quality of your leadership will determine how your country will be. If you have great leaders your country will be great and if you have bad leaders, even with all the potential for greatness in that nation, the country will be a bad country. In my quest for the leadership issue in Africa, I have come to discover a simple truth. The word of God has the perfect diagnosis and also the perfect cure as well as the possible prognosis of this issue.

In our text today, we read a most profound statement “And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel. Here lies the issue. Most leaders in Africa are not aware of why they are leaders. They simply take up the positions, to better their own lives and to become important and significant. They never really understand that the position is a position of humility and that they are servants of all. They never really appreciate that they are to lay their lives down for the people they lead. They never really contemplated the cost of leadership and the weight of leading a people. They have no vision, no direction and no heart for anything sustainable and long lasting. They are consumed by their self-image and publicity. They are myopic and totally self serving. They don’t think of the future generations, so they never sow for posterity and God forbid that they ever think about competent succession. They would rather have stooges take up the positions they vacate, so they can still pull the strings from a distance. Shameful.

But David on becoming King in Israel, understood that God had made him king for the sake of the people and as a king he did all he could to serve the people and make the people serve God. He remains the most loved king of Israel. All you need to do is go to Jerusalem and you would see how this king is revered.

One more point, perhaps a sore one. Leadership in Africa derives its foundation from the Kings and rulers of the ancient empires of Africa. Leaders in Africa, believe they are kings and kings in Africa are totally above reproach and are not accountable to anyone. We are not allowed to question the king. So the king does what he likes. Kings in Africa, convert the resources of the state to their personal resources and they use the power of the state for their personal pleasure. Everything and everyone serves the king and his purpose, no matter how selfish they may be. This is probably why a lot of leaders in Africa are embezzlers and looters of the public treasuries. They think the resources are theirs. How sad?

But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,  and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,  even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus never once served himself. He lived and died totally committed to the cause of God for the people. He laid His life down to redeem mankind. Even today after His resurrection and ascension, He occupies the position of Our Great High Priest, ever living to make intercession for the saints. In His glorified position, He is still serving.

Why are we so deprived in this continent? Why have godly leaders eluded us. Are we deluded and deceived by these people or are we just not favoured?

Lord please send us Davids, Moses’ and Deborahs and Esthers and Nehemiahs. Send us leaders that will know that they are there in those lofty positions to serve and not be served.

Let’s pray: Our Father in Heaven, you said we should ask and we will receive. Today we pray for all our countries across the world, that you would give us leaders like David, who would serve the people of our nations. Give us leaders that are dead to self and not leading to enrich their personal pockets or find significance through their positions. Please Father, bless us with godly leaders that will serve us and help us to serve you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.