“The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them… He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left…” (Dt. 16:20)
Worldly leadership is ultimately proven by having “more.” Gathering horses that symbolize power, increasing wives as reflections of desire, and accumulating silver and gold representing wealth and fame. It is an obsession with conditions that make me feel superior, a mindset that tries to keep others beneath my feet. This is what the world calls success and leadership.
However, the leadership of God shown in today’s Word points in a completely different direction. Keeping the Word close, reading it all my life, and fearing God. This seemingly simple “abiding” is what defines the path of a true leader.
Two changes that occur when abiding in the Word linger in my heart: growing in the fear of God, and not looking down on my brothers and sisters.
As I reflect, I realize these two are inseparable. When I encounter the magnitude of God through His Word, I simultaneously see my own smallness and fragility standing in His light. A person who deeply feels how flawed they are has no room to look down on others. The need to prove oneself or the urge to feel superior through comparison simply fades away.
The Word positions me in awe before God and in humility before my neighbor. Ultimately, a heart that loves God leads to an attitude of loving those beside me.
I pray that I do not become a stubborn person who only accumulates knowledge. I want to guard against the pride within me and practice humbling myself as the Word leads today. May I not be one who only has an appearance of godliness, but a true nomad whose life, even in the smallest cracks, flows with the power of the Word.