Monday, March 26, 2007

Dying to be king!


Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Judges 9, 10, 11

Judges 9:51-53(NIV)
51 Inside the city, however, was a strong tower, to which all the men and women – all the people of the city – fled. They locked themselves in and climbed up on the tower roof. 52 Abimelech went to the tower and stormed it. But as he approached the entrance of the tower to set it on fire, 53 a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull.

Good morning!

Some people go to great lengths to climb the ladder of "success." Have you experienced the wrath of a power-hungry person in your family, at work, or even at church? Self-righteous indignation is a dangerous attitude to model, and can eventually lead to deep regret and self-destruction. Just how far would you go to climb the tower of power? Who would you gladly step on to reach the top?

Abimelech had a lot to prove. Self-esteem issues burned within his heart, as Abimelech continued to cultivate the seed of hatred for his father's actions and the half-brothers whom he resented. Labeled a half-breed, Abimelech received no rightful inheritance, and was well-known as the black sheep of his family; a by-product of an unholy interlude between his father Gideon and a concubine. Through no fault of his own, Abimelech suffered cruelly from the insults and humiliating prejudices held by father's family and friends. With great determination, Abimelech allowed poor judgment and a deep desire for revenge to overtake his life. If he could just be king, maybe Abimelech's need for revenge could be quenched. If he could just control the people around him, maybe he could protect his broken heart. Abimelech wanted control, and he was willing to take it, even at the expense of his very life.

Abimelech chose to rally electoral support by pitting his mother's clan against his father's brothers. Lobbying for support, Abimelech elected himself king. He obtained much needed financial support for his campaign of treachery, and invested the monies to purchase the services of a hit man, who took the lives of Abimelech's brothers. Abimelech believed if he could eliminate the competition all together, he could retain the power and control he so desperately needed to survive. Abimelech thought his revenge would be sweet; that he would finally experience peace of mind. His ruthless attitude and overconfident ego cost Abimelech his very life.

When a snake is striking at your heel, where do you run? The people of Thebez ran to a strong tower inside their city. They fled there on foot, seeking sanctuary and protection from the evil Abimelech and his band of thugs. The Lord God Almighty is a strong tower. We can run to Him and find solace in the secret place of His everlasting love. The snares of the wicked cannot touch our souls when we rest in the shelter of His almighty hand. As Abimelech prepared to set the tower ablaze, a woman dropped a millstone from the top of the tower onto the power hungry head of this wanna-be king. Dying in shame and agony, Abimelech's last request was that his armor-bearer would end his pitiful life, so that he would not be remembered as the king was killed at the hand of a woman.

Abimelech is a sad example of one who spent his entire life seeking revenge, bearing animosity toward his brothers, and looking for self-esteem in all the wrong places. When we cannot forgive the ones who hurt us, we become miserable people. There are some things that seem impossible to forgive. When we confess our sinful thoughts and behaviors to the Lord of life, handing Him our heart strings, He can take even the deepest hurt and heal it within the shelter of His care. The love of Christ can mend a heart that has been shattered into tiny slivers. He can restore relationships, removing our need to control those around us. He is a strong and mighty tower and we can run to Him every single day.

Will you run to the Lord this morning? Will you give Him the things that keep you stirred up in anger? Or will you choose to live a life like Abimelech, seeking revenge and control at every turn? A true leader is never elected. When we raise our personal agenda over God's Word, we will fall. It is simply a matter of time.

Find a way to forgive your brothers today. Ask the Lord Jesus to help you. Forgiving the unforgivable is a Christlike quality and marks a true leader. Will you choose to forgive, or will you continue to take out the people in your path as you seek to become a self-avowed king?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding
www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: a humble heart and contrite spirit. We can learn from Abimelech's poor choices as we recommit our lives to servant leadership and Christlike behavior. Will you let go of your desire to control and give your heart completely to the Lord today?
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© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
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