The Need for Strong Leadership
‘For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.’ (Proverbs 11:14); ‘And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.’ (Psalm 78:72)
Solomon likely was the author of Proverbs 11, while a Levite in David’s advisory circle, Asaph, wrote Psalm 78. Both discuss traits of leadership; the first half of Proverbs 11:14 provides that without skilled leadership, with God’s oversight and guiding hand upon the leaders, will collapse the nation. This is illustrated in the Bible throughout the Old Testament, and in the New Testament under the feckless leadership of Herod in Jesus’ time. Solomon then in the second half of the verse provides that success is given to those who listen to advice, especially if that advice is from God and Godly people.
We see this in all great leaders; US Generals George Patton and Dwight Eisenhower were known to pray earnestly and often for their troops to succeed, especially Patton who sought God’s will and urged his 3rd Army to pray to the Lord earnestly for fair weather in late 1944 to enter the German Saar region. Eisenhower also continually prayed as President, often proclaiming Days of Prayer for major US holidays of remembrance such as the 4th of July and Memorial Day. Other Presidents, such as Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln, and especially George Washington and our founding fathers, prayed earnestly to the Lord to provide His providence upon them and the people of the United States.
These men also led with great integrity and with great skills in leadership, gave people the belief that with God’s hand of guidance the United States would succeed in any endeavor undertaken, whether it was to be free from British tyranny or to repel the evils of Germany and Japan in World War II. This Faith allowed the US to achieve its ‘Manifest Destiny’ in becoming a ‘coast-to-coast’ nation to putting a man on the Moon. Great Godly men will lead their people into trusting in God and His Word, to accomplish His purpose.
Like Israel, though, the cycle of ‘Strong Godly Men create Good Times, Good Times create Weak Godless Men, Weak Godless Men create Bad Times, Bad Times Create Strong Godly Men’, is true in the US. Today we are at the end of ‘Good Times’ and our nation’s leadership is weak and Godless. However, it is never too late to ‘break the cycle’ and restore the US through electing and promoting Strong Godly Men, who pray and seek God’s counsel in their decisions, back into our political leadership.
