Great Plains Daily Devotional for 1/8/2021

Psalm 72

Give the king your justice, O God,
    and your righteousness to a king’s son.
May he judge your people with righteousness,
    and your poor with justice.
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
    and the hills, in righteousness.
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
    give deliverance to the needy,
    and crush the oppressor.

May he live while the sun endures,
    and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
    like showers that water the earth.
In his days may righteousness flourish
    and peace abound, until the moon is no more.

May he have dominion from sea to sea,
    and from the River to the ends of the earth.
May his foes bow down before him,
    and his enemies lick the dust.
May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
    render him tribute,
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
    bring gifts.
May all kings fall down before him,
    all nations give him service.

For he delivers the needy when they call,
    the poor and those who have no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
    and saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence he redeems their life;
    and precious is their blood in his sight.

Long may he live!
    May gold of Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be made for him continually,
    and blessings invoked for him all day long.
May there be abundance of grain in the land;
    may it wave on the tops of the mountains;
    may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
    like the grass of the field.
May his name endure forever,
    his fame continue as long as the sun.
May all nations be blessed in him;
    may they pronounce him happy.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name forever;
    may his glory fill the whole earth.
Amen and Amen.

The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.

This is the second time in recent months that I have reflected on this Psalm and its meaning for us today. This Psalm was likely written and prayed upon the King of Israel, possibly Solomon. In December, I reflected upon this Psalm as a call on us personally to care for the poor and oppressed. But in this season of public leadership transitions in the United States, I also think this Psalm provides a blueprint of what the Bible describes as an effective leader, both in terms of substance and form.
Scholars describe several different typical types of leadership: Transactional, Transformational, Democratic, Autocratic, Bureaucratic, Laissez-Faire, or Charismatic Leadership. (You can easily find descriptions on the internet). Each of these types of leadership can be “effective” depending on your definition of “effective,” and we each have strengths that lead us to one or more types of leadership.

But today’s Psalm describes another type of leadership: Servant Leadership. The Center for Servant Leadership provides this definition: “A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the ‘top of the pyramid,’ servant leadership is different. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.”

The Psalmist does not pray for the king to achieve fame by force of arms or by power of personality, but by delivering “the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper.” The Psalmist observes that a biblically effective leader saves the lives of the needy from oppression and violence.

As Christians, we especially recognize this model of servant leadership. Jesus did not lead by using his power to force others to his will. He did not lead by asking what the most popular viewpoint would be. He consistently led by example—by caring for the poor and standing up for the oppressed. He ultimately gave his life for all of us, the perfect example of Servant Leadership.

Although this lesson is applicable to all sorts of leaders (civic, organizational, church), as we have new (and returning) elected leaders taking office at the state and federal level in the United States, I am praying for them specifically. Their work in our polarized nation is daunting and difficult to be sure. But for leaders who are looking for a biblical model of leadership, today’s Psalm provides a plumb line for decision making.

Prayer for Reflection

Isaiah 60:1-6
Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14
Ephesians 3:1-12
Matthew 2:1-12