Loyalty to God's Anointed

To honor your leaders is to honor God. But, what if your leaders are bad? Keep Reading...

​READ
1 Samuel 24:1-7

KEY VERSE
1 Samuel 24:6 - The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.

THINK ABOUT IT
After all of David's military success, King Saul grew very jealous. He wanted the praise that was going to David. King Saul's jealousy led him to hunt David down in an effort to kill him. On one occasion, David could have actually killed King Saul. But instead he refused to lay a hand against the Lord's anointed king.

Why do you remain loyal to your leader? Is it because they have been so kind to you and the perfect example of what a leader should be? David recognized God's anointing and appointing of the leader in his life. To take a shot at his leader would be to take a shot at God.

God never intends for your leader to give you a hard time (much less hunt you down to kill you). Nonetheless, he calls us to honor and respect our leaders. (Romans 13:1-2) He has created the role of leadership for a purpose. And we are to honor our leaders as we honor God.

David knew God's command of loyalty and honor. Do we? Or are we selective in our loyalty? Do we hold up the idea of democracy ("I can vote you out of office.") as higher than God's instruction to honor and submit to our authorities?

PRAY
Thank you, Lord, for my leaders (name them here: ____________________). Where I have been disloyal, please forgive me. I want to hold my leaders up in prayer on a consistent basis - that you would protect them, provide for them and lead them closer to Yourself. In Jesus' name, Amen.