Daily Devotional
When You Have Ungodly Leaders
“And his mother’s brothers spoke all these words concerning him in the hearing of all the men of Shechem; and their heart was inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, ‘He is our brother.’ So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men; and they followed him. Then he went to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, because he hid himself. And all the men of Shechem gathered together, all of Beth Millo, and they went and made Abimelech king beside the terebinth tree at the pillar that was in Shechem.”
Judges 9:3-6
July 20, 2024
Ponder This
In this passage, there arose an ungodly leader named Abimelech. This man was a thorn bush, but he had an unholy ambition to lead the country. So, the first thing he did in Judges 9:1-2 was to build a coalition. He went to his friends, back where he was raised, and he said, “I want you to know that I am one of you. I am a part of this generation.” But his arrogance did not stop there. He also bought his constituents. With the favor of the people and a heart full of arrogance, the people paid him with money from Baal, the god of sexual immorality. At every step, arrogance consumed Abimelech; it affected how he led, how he treated people, and how he used his money.
Here is the hope for us today: the Book of Judges shows that God would rather forgive than judge. He is a God of mercy, and we must disabuse ourselves of the idea that there can be no revival and no restoration. In trying times, we look to God as our hope. We don’t seek to be the solution ourselves or invest in ungodly leaders. When we see arrogance in our world and in our lives, we must surrender to God and say “Lord, send a mighty revival and let it begin in me.”
- When has arrogance guided your decision-making?
- How have you seen arrogance hurt people?
Practice This
Consider a time recently when you acted arrogantly. Consider what you need to do to repair any damage you may have done in that situation.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Real Truth Never Changes
Real truth never changes, and the truth about government is that it is God who ordains it, leaders who are responsible for it, and citizens who are accountable to it. The privilege of being called Americans comes with significant responsibilities—to God, to each other, and to the world.
