The writer of Psalm 78 - a relatively unknown Asaph - records it in this way:
[The Lord] chose David his servantThe shepherd boy who became king... it could almost be the story of a typical Aussie "battler" who emerged from hardship to "make good". It was, of course, more than that - though even the Lord’s "choosing" didn’t spare him years "on the run" pursued by Saul, the present incompetent incumbent.
and took him from the sheep pens;
from tending the sheep he brought him
to be the shepherd of his people Jacob,
of Israel his inheritance.
And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;
with skilful hands he led them. (vv. 70-72)
"David shepherded them..." - the expression was taken over into the common language for a ruler. The ideal ruler wasn’t a "drover", but a "shepherd". The word suggests a genuine care for each individual.
His leadership was marked by two qualities - "integrity of heart" and "skilful hands". Those are important characteristics of good community leaders. Some leaders are full of ambitious drive, but lack integrity of heart. It has to do with an idealism bigger than our own personal goals and self-interest. Ultimately, it needs to be an idealism that acknowledges as our final authority the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The ideals are far beyond us. There will be points where, like David, we slip and fall. But we will be brought back to the grace of God and our need for a wisdom beyond ourselves.
David served his people with skilful hands. He was a man of prayer and a person of practical and vigorous action.
Our world faces again the prospect of war. I don’t personally know anybody who wants war. But public opinion in the Burdekin is divided over what kind of action the world should take to ensure that the world community is protected from the fear of terrorism and from the threat of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. That fear and threat are real. The well-intentioned people who have offered themselves as a "human shield" are naive and become "useful fools" to be manipulated by a leader who gives little evidence of real integrity.
But there is another fear - do the major world leaders (on all sides of the international debate) have the integrity of heart to initiate whatever wise and skilful actions the situation may demand?
Now is the time for us to join in urgent prayer for them. It is also the time for us to renew our own spiritual stocks - in shepherding the people of the Burdekin "with integrity of heart" and "with skilful hands."
| Prayer: Eternal Lord, our Loving Father, we long for peace in our world and are confronted by the fear of terrorism and the threat of chemical, biological and chemical weapons. We pray for world leaders as they wrestle with issues of negotiation, inspections or war in their quest for peace. Grant them genuine care for all peoples of the world and wisdom to make decisions with true integrity and skill. We pray particularly for the people of the Burdekin. Enable us to discuss and make decisions today with both integrity of heart and skilful hands. May the life of our community be marked with genuine care for one another and for all people. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen. |
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