ESOCS Devotional 7 April 2021
TEXT: 2 SAMUEL 23:1-8
MEMORY VERSE: “The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” 2 Samuel 23:3 KJV
It is of highest consequence, that Rulers should be Just Men, and such as Rule in the Fear of God …
When deciding what kind of person should be put into a position of a ruler, as Christians, we need to look beyond superficial qualities and evaluate that person’s worldview and character. Those qualities will have a much greater bearing on their ability to govern morally and effectively than whether they look the part or are well liked by others.
The Bible lists several qualities that a ruler should have. Some of them are listed below:
Godly rulers fear God: This leads to humility and reverence for God’s laws, ultimately knowing that they will be held accountable before God for their actions (Exodus 18:21; Deuteronomy 17:19; 2 Samuel 23:3–4).
Godly rulers uphold justice through their integrity, impartiality, and compassion (Exodus 23:6-8; Deuteronomy 1:13-17, 16:18-20).
Godly rulers have wisdom and understanding to make sound and moral decisions. They speak deliberately and listen intently (Genesis 41:33; Deuteronomy 1:13; 1 Kings 3:9; Proverbs 8:12-16).
Godly rulers are truthful, not only in their knowledge and presentation of the facts, but in their faithfulness and obedience to God’s law. A ruler who is truthful surrounds himself with advisers who are also truthful (Proverbs 16:12-13; 17:7; 25:2-5; 29:12; Isaiah 5:18-23).
Godly rulers have self-control. Having mastery over their physical and emotional desires gives them better judgment and makes them less susceptible to outside manipulation and abuse of power (Proverbs 16:12-13; 17:7; 25:2-5; 29:12; Isaiah 5:18-23).
A godly ruler fears God, upholds justice, is wise and understanding, is truthful, and has self-control. Each of these qualities is indispensable to good governance and should be qualities that we look for in candidates when we elect them into offices.
Read yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
CHALLENGES
Do you have the qualities of a godly ruler? What steps are you taking to build them?
PRAYER POINT
Pray to God to grant you the grace to be just and to fear Him
FURTHER READING: Deuteronomy 18:21; Proverbs 16:12–32; 31:4-5
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ESOCS Devotional 7 April 2021
