Rehoboam

 But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. The young men who had grown up with him replied, “These people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’”    1 Kings 12.8, 10-11

When God places us in positions to lead or influence others, He is there to help us. 

Alone in his chambers, the newly crowned king found himself anxiously pacing. His father, Solomon, had just died, and the future of the kingdom now rested upon his shoulders. Drawn to the table near his bed, Rehoboam picked up the gold sceptre. Staring intently at the symbol of his sovereign authority, he pondered the request of the people. In three days they would return to get his answer. Would he grant their desperate petition or, like his father, do what was necessary to secure his own kingdom? 

It was by holy design that Israel’s kings were to reflect the heart of God to the people. The intent of their Heavenly Father was for the apple of his eye to be governed with both justice and mercy. In choosing not to seek God’s guidance in response to the people’s plea and deciding instead to pursue his own desires, Rehoboam set in motion the prophesied fate of the anguished nation. In disappointment that fueled anger, Israel rebelled, and the kingdom was torn in two, only a remnant remained under the foolish king’s rule.

We all struggle at times to know what the right thing to do is, but just as He was with Rehoboam, God is with us. Whether it is running a business, parenting children, or doing anything where others look to us for direction, God wants us to recognise He is there to help us. Even when we put our agendas ahead of His and things don’t go as we plan, God does not forsake us. He responds to the slightest whisper of His Name. With His wisdom being a treasure beyond compare, He is always faithful to provide the answers we need.

Father, in the places of my life where You ask me to lead, I invite Your guidance so I may reflect Your heart and Your ways. In Jesus' name, Amen

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go, I will counsel you with my loving eye upon you.   Psalm 32.8