Pray the Word with David Platt is a resource from Radical.net.

Numbers chapter 20, verse 12, may be one of the most sobering verses, at least in the first

five books of the Bible.

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy

in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land

I have given them.

The story here is God's people grumbling, complaining yet again before God, before Moses and Aaron.

And yet Moses, in his response, instead of doing what God said to do and speaking to the rock to cause water to come out,

he strikes the rock. We see an anger in him, a taking things into his own hands, kind of

leadership that does not regard God as holy in the eyes of the people, that disobeys God's word,

and as a result, after all that Moses has done, in so many ways since the beginning of the

book of Exodus to lead God's people. Here we see him falter and the result is

he will not go into the promised land. I read this and I think about leaders among God's people

today. I think about leaders in the church. I think about my own

leadership in the church. I think about other pastors. I think about anyone who has influence over

others, a husband in marriage, mom and dad in parenting, just in any leadership roles we have, we are accountable

for showing the holiness of God to those we lead, for believing the word of God and obeying

the word of God, not taking things into our own hands.

So I'm compelled to pray for leaders.

And for those of you who are leaders, to pray for ourselves and then just to pray for

leaders around you.

Pray for other leaders.

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