Thoughts for Life: #80 God Desires that We Leaders Weep

Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: God spoke through Joel at a time of His imminent judgment upon the nation because of its sins: "let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say, 'Spare your people, O LORD' " (Joel 2:17).

The religious leaders of the nation were responsible to intercede with weeping for the nation. (Google image, Weeping Prophet Jeremiah)

Similarly Isaiah, at the time of national calamity, said to the leaders, "The Lord, the LORD Almighty, called you on that day to weep and to wail . . . to . . . put on sackcloth" (Is. 22:12).

But instead they feasted and enjoyed themselves in revelry (v. 13). So guilty did this make them that Isaiah adds, "The LORD Almighty has revealed this in my hearing: 'Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned for,' says the Lord, the LORD Almighty" (v. 14).

When those who should bear the spiritual burden for a people by mighty intercession and tears are so indifferent spiritually that they sense no prayer burden and take it easy and enjoy themselves, carrying on their leadership with an attitude of "business as usual"—this is scandalous in the sight of God.

How can we be so unmoved by the story of the cross if we have really understood how our Savior loved us and died for us? How can we be so dry-eyed as we intercede for a lost world, and as we preach the gospel of Calvary?

A missionary was telling the love of Christ to an unsaved pagan, how Christ left the glories of heaven, shared our life, our sufferings, but was rejected and crucified by sinful men. As the pagan listened to the story of the cross he began to weep.

Then he turned to the missionary and asked, "Did this same Jesus die for you?" "Yes," replied the missionary. The pagan looked at him in amazement and asked, "Then why don't you cry?"

Pardon me if I ask you, "Why don't you?"

Wanted: More brokenhearted leaders like Hosea, crying to God for the sins and failures of their people!
Wanted: More heartbroken prophet-leaders like Jeremiah, prevailing for their people!
Wanted: More flaming-hearted Pauline evangelists and leaders, weeping as they plead for their people, as they plead with them, as they proclaim Calvary love!

Give Me Tears

Give me tears in my eyes, loving Lord, I pray!
Give me tears when I intercede.
Give me tears when I kneel at Your throne each day;
Give me tears when I learn to plead.

Pierced Lord, break this cold, stony heart of mine;
Melt my heart with Your holy fire!
Flood my soul with the passion of love divine;
May I hunger with Your desire.

Take the callousness all from my heart again
Till I hunger and thirst and yearn,
Till the longings for souls of sin-ruined men
All-consuming within me burn.

Fill my heart with your tears; there unveil Your cross
Till all else of this world has died,
Till all else in my life I shall count but loss,
Save the cross of the crucified.

May my heart be a crucified heart alway
That it bleed for the souls of men.
May the burden for souls melt my soul each day
Till I share your travail again.

Give me tears when I preach of your dying love;
Give me tears when I plead with men.
Give me tears as I point to Your throne above;
Love of God, melt my heart again.

Wesley Duewel

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

[Let me challenge you to do what I did years ago when copying this poem for a quote on a post: copy it and read it everyday that you can, and make it yours].

Used by permission of the author and Duewel Literature Trust, Inc., Greenwood, Indiana. Creative reading style by Jean.

Ablaze for God
#80 God Desires that We Leaders Weep
by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
(pp. 243- 247) ZondervanPublishingHouse

Today's post suggestion: #11 God Needs Willing Hearts, from Healing Thoughts and Prayers

Group praying

A quote from this "group praying" picture link:

"Kids need someone willing to 'lead the way' with coherent lives and consistent steps. They require guidance, patience, love and prayer – lots and lots of prayer. All children need leaders who love them enough to pray for them."

Father, may it be true that as leaders, we will be willing to weep for those we're responsible for, whether in camps, like the above post link is concerned with, or in our churches and in our homes.

"Take the callousness all from my heart again
Till I hunger and thirst and yearn,
Till the longings for souls of sin-ruined men
All-consuming within me burn."

I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.

Today's Bible verses-

Is. 59:21 (KJV) "As for me, this is my covenant
with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon
thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth,
shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the
mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's
seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever."

Ps. 84:11, 12 (NIV) "For the LORD God is a sun and
shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good
thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blame-
less. (v. 12) O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who
trusts in you."

Today's quote-

Charles Spurgeon- "Put these three things together; deep spirituality, which recognizes prayer as being real conversation with the invisible God; much distinctness, which is the reality of prayer, asking for what we want with much fervency, believing the thing to be necessary and therefore resolving to obtain it if it can be had by prayer; and above all these, complete submission, leaving it still with the Master's will. Intermingle all these, and you have a clear idea of what it means to order your cause before the Lord."

(p. 47 of Spurgeon on PRAYER & SPIRITUAL WARFARE).

Today's popular post-

#93 Plan Your Prayer Time

Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: "We will never have enough time for prevailing prayer unless we deliberately plan for it. Our days will become as crowded as we permit.

The time we give to prayer by deliberately planning is the measure of our value of prayer. It is the measure of our love for those for whom we pray."

Upcoming posts-

Practicing the Presence
25th- Saturday's post by Max Lucado

#81 You Can Be an Anointed Leader
21st- Tuesday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

#82 The Anointing is for You
23rd- Thursday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

Power of Prayer
25th- Saturday's post by Lee Forbes