TOTAL OBEDIENCE TO LEADERSHIP PROMOTES GOD'S WORK

Posted on August 22, 2021 Posted By: admin Categories: Daily Devotion

EVERY WORD OF GOD FOR DAILY LIVING BY PASTOR PAUL RIKA:
INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR Holiness Revival Movement Worldwide

TITLE: TOTAL OBEDIENCE TO LEADERSHIP PROMOTES GOD’S WORK

MONDAY, AUGUST 23RD, 2021

TEXT: JOSHUA 1:16-18 KJV
16) And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.
17) According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the LORD thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.
18) Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.

KEY VERSE: HEBREWS 13:17 KJV
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves:
for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

In today’s devotional text the people of God said to Joshua, “All that you say, we will do and wherever you send us, we will go.” It is in such submission to our leaders that there can be progress in the church, and the vision God has given to the leaders can be actualized. They were assuring Joshua that they will obey without excuse and reservations. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. So they were telling Joshua anywhere you send us we will go, and whatever instruction and whatever assignment you give to us, however small or great, we will do.

They saw it as a duty to obey whatever instructions he gave to them and carry out whatever assignments he gave them to do without questioning. They did not mind how the instruction may affect them or what it will cost them to obey. All they knew was that they would obey in the fear of God. Again they said, “According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things.” Not in some things. It is a stubbornness to resist authority. It is a stubbornness to murmur. It is a stubbornness to complain. It is a stubbornness to form a clique and try to de-stabilize the establishment. God demands your personal commitment to the pastor and before God in the church. WHATEVER THE PASTOR INSTRUCTS, YOU WILL DO BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE GOD IS WITH HIM. There is no resistance. None! That is true Christianity. That is the Spirit of Christ.

The people further said whoever among them will kick against the instructions of the pastor will face instant judgment because they cannot tolerate rebellion in their midst. Whosoever he may be; whatever is his name, wherever he comes from, whatever his authority and whatever his position. If the person says he will not hearken to do ALL the pastor commanded, he will be brought down from his position.

We will not agree. In fact, he shall be put to death! That was the commitment of the followers of Joshua and that was how they got to the Promised Land. That was how they entered that land of Canaan and possessed it – through complete yieldedness to leadership and readiness to resist disobedience among themselves. So everybody bowed and they were able to possess the land, and through Joshua, the land was shared to those people. Join hands with the leadership to promote God’s work.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Obedience to leadership adds speed to the work of God.

SONG FOR THE DAY: Sanctify me, Lord, purify me, Lord, make me holy…..

BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY: Psalm 119:105-176; 1 Corinthians 5

Authority, Holiness, leadership, Obedience, submission