Topic: Leadership

Scripture:

2 I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with [a] Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do.

(NIV) Nehemiah 7:2

Observation:

To Nehemiah, Integrity and the Fear of God was important to him in deciding who would be put in charge of guarding Jerusalem.  Proverbs 1:7 declares, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.”

Until we understand who God is and develop a reverential fear of Him, we cannot have true wisdom.

It makes me think of times when we as leaders  put someone in charge of a ministry or even ask someone to sit on the Board of Directors of the Church.  Having integrity and fear of the Lord are important qualifications.

Application:

For a believer in God, this so called Fear of God is a "reverence and awe" of God because of who he is (Creator of the Universe).  Fearing God means having such a reverence for Him that it has a great impact on the way we live our lives. The fear of God is respecting Him, obeying Him, submitting to His discipline, and worshipping Him in awe.

Prayer:

Father God I know you love us as your children just as an earthly Father loves his children.  And in the same way we discipline our Children because we love them, you do the same to us.  Lord forgive us in those times  when we lose that respect and awe for you because of our complacency in not putting you first in our lives.  Help us get back on track when we stray......Your word tells me that nothing can separate your Love for me.....in Jesus Name...Amen.