THE WRONG DECISION OR POLICY MADE BY A LEADER 2

1 SATAN ROSE UP AGAINST ISRAEL AND CAUSED DAVID TO TAKE A CENSUS OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL.
2 SO DAVID SAID TO JOAB AND THE COMMANDERS OF THE ARMY, “TAKE A CENSUS OF ALL THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL—from Beersheba in the south to Dan in the north—AND BRING ME A REPORT SO I MAY KNOW HOW MANY THERE ARE.”
14 SO THE LORD SENT A PLAGUE UPON ISRAEL, AND 70,000 PEOPLE DIED AS A RESULT.
15 And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But just as the angel was preparing to destroy it, the Lord relented and said to the death angel, “Stop! That is enough!” At that moment the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
16 David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth with his sword drawn, reaching out over Jerusalem. So David and the leaders of Israel put on burlap to show their deep distress and fell face down on the ground.
17 AND DAVID SAID TO GOD, “I AM THE ONE WHO CALLED FOR THE CENSUS! I AM THE ONE WHO HAS SINNED AND DONE WRONG! BUT THESE PEOPLE ARE AS INNOCENT AS SHEEP—WHAT HAVE THEY DONE? O LORD MY GOD, LET YOUR ANGER FALL AGAINST ME AND MY FAMILY, BUT DO NOT DESTROY YOUR PEOPLE."
1 Chronicles 21:1,2,14-17 (NLT)

• If you allowed God through the Holy Spirit on the inside of you, as a believer in a particular leadership position, to lead and direct and guide you; you would not put the people under your leadership in any unnecessary and avoidable problems.
a. Think and ask from God what to do before making any decision, especially If such a decision would have a direct effect—a significant or major effect on your people—those under your leadership.
b. As a leader in the family, the church or ministry, the community, or the nation As a whole; consider the consequences of whatever you wanted to do on the people you are leading.

• If you failed in your responsibility As a leader, you have disappointed God Who permitted you to be put in that position or office (2 Timothy 2:4,19).
• For you to succeed in your leadership assignment, you have to make God number One in your life. Always acknowledge Him and let Him lead you on every matter of life (Proverbs 3:5,6).
• Remember, you would give account of your stewardship. The blood of those who lost their lives, or who died unjustly, under your leadership would be required from you:
  15 THE LEADERS OF ISRAEL ARE THE HEAD, AND THE LYING PROPHETS ARE THE TAIL. 16 FOR THE LEADERS OF THE PEOPLE HAVE MISLED THEM. THEY HAVE LED THEM DOWN THE PATH OF DESTRUCTION" (Isaiah 9:15,16 NLT).

12 AS FOR MY PEOPLE, children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. O MY PEOPLE! THOSE WHO LEAD YOU CAUSE YOU TO ERR, AND DESTROY THE WAY OF YOUR PATHS.”
Isaiah 3:12 (NKJV)
READ: Ezekiel 33:7-9

• As a leader when a calamity struck, as a result of your bad leadership; wrong decision or policy you made, accept the responsibility and do not shift the blame.

• David did a wrong thing; he made a wrong decision, but when the consequences of it came, he acknowledged that what he did, the decision he made, caused the problem; and he pleaded to God: "DAVID SAID TO GOD, ‘I AM THE PERSON WHO HAS DONE AN EVIL THING. I TOLD JOAB TO COUNT THE NUMBER OF MEN IN MY ARMY. THESE PEOPLE HAVE FOLLOWED ME LIKE SHEEP THAT FOLLOW A SHEPHERD. THEY HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING WRONG. LORD MY GOD, YOU SHOULD ONLY PUNISH ME AND MY FAMILY. BUT PLEASE TAKE THIS DISEASE [plague] AWAY FROM YOUR PEOPLE'" (1 Chronicles 21:17 EasyEnglish Bible).
• It takes a person with a right heart and the fear of God, a man or woman of integrity, to offer the kind of prayer David prayed in the above passage of the Bible. Some leaders or bosses in such situations would want to save their faces; they would either pass or shift the blame, or pretend not to be the one who gave the instruction that led to the catastrophe.
• David accepted the blame and said God should punish him and his family for the wrong decision he made, and not the people under his leadership; because the people are Innocent (1 Chronicles 21:17).

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.

• Should there be any ailment in your body, receive your healing now in Jesus' name.
• The Hold of infirmity is totally broken in your life and never will you be bound again in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
  Peace!
  TO BE CONTINUED

STEPS TO SALVATION
• Take notice of this:
IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).
a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).
b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).
c. As you took the steps A and B your name is written in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).

• If you took the steps As highlighted above, congratulations, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!