September 27th - Proverbs 28:2

Proverbs 28:2 When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability. Every nation needs good leaders, but the pages of human history show that they have normally been in short supply. The Old Testament offers us a depressing procession of inadequate leaders, occasionally punctuated by one who was godly and able. In the prophecy of Hosea, God summed up the situation when he declared: “Burning like an oven, they consume their leaders. They kill their kings one after another, and no one cries to me for help” (Hosea 7:7). It was a tragic situation and led to centuries of moral rot, to use the colourful language of this proverb. There is plenty of moral rot in our own society. The massive amount of substance abuse, the breakup of families, the prevalence of child abuse, the phenomenal levels of fraud and the huge rise in knife crime would be just a few of indicators of a society that is in a poor way. In such a situation, we need to cry out for the kind of wise and knowledgeable leaders that the writer of Proverbs had in mind. It isn’t good enough for us to join in with the chorus of cynicism and criticism. We can do better than that. Paul encouraged Timothy to pray for those who were in authority “so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:2). As we pray for those in authority, we reveal our commitment to them and our willingness to work with them as they seek to make wise and good decisions that will bless our society. In the work I have done with members of Parliament over the years, I know how encouraged and blessed they have been when they have known that churches have been praying for them. We don’t need to agree with their politics in order to pray for them. We simply need to appreciate that they have an authority which ultimately derives from God and recognise our responsibility to support them. It's too easy to bemoan the wickedness of our rotten society. God calls us to allow his Spirit to work through us so that we can help to build a better society. Question In what ways could you encourage your MP in their work? Prayer Loving God, I pray for this country and ask that you will bless our leaders. May they walk in your ways of compassion, truth and justice. Amen