A Leader Of Great Integrity
Daily Renewal
Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to everything you said to me and set a king over you. Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and grey, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and His anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.”
“You have not cheated or oppressed us,” they replied. “You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.”
Samuel said to them, “The LORD is witness against you, and also His anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” “He is witness,” they said.
“You have not cheated or oppressed us,” they replied. “You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.”
Samuel said to them, “The LORD is witness against you, and also His anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” “He is witness,” they said.
I Samuel 12:1-5
Samuel under divine directives had appointed a king to rule over Israel as the people requested. He then gathered all Israel for a farewell speech. Obviously, it must have been a rather uneasy gathering. There must have been some tension; after all, the people rejected both Samuel and God in favor of an earthly king.
What could Samuel possibly say on such an occasion? As the people looked him in the eye, were there things that he needed to be ashamed of? Could there possibly be whispers about some ungodly behaviors he had exhibited? Was Samuel finishing well? Was his testimony intact? Had Samuel served well and pleased God?
The truth is: Samuel did not have to worry about any such thing because he had lived a life of absolute integrity as a leader. He could squarely look Israel in the eye and declare: “Testify against me...Whose donkey have I taken?...Whom have I cheated?...From whose hand have I taken a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.” The people attested that Samuel had done nothing of the sort. Samuel finished well as a leader. He finished well because he lived a life of enviable integrity.
Question: Can the same be said of you and I? Can you stand before your peers, associates, congregation, or the people you lead or serve and boldly declare that you have led and served with total integrity? These are days when people and leaders of integrity are fast becoming extinct. May you and I be people of integrity. May people attest to our integrity.
What could Samuel possibly say on such an occasion? As the people looked him in the eye, were there things that he needed to be ashamed of? Could there possibly be whispers about some ungodly behaviors he had exhibited? Was Samuel finishing well? Was his testimony intact? Had Samuel served well and pleased God?
The truth is: Samuel did not have to worry about any such thing because he had lived a life of absolute integrity as a leader. He could squarely look Israel in the eye and declare: “Testify against me...Whose donkey have I taken?...Whom have I cheated?...From whose hand have I taken a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.” The people attested that Samuel had done nothing of the sort. Samuel finished well as a leader. He finished well because he lived a life of enviable integrity.
Question: Can the same be said of you and I? Can you stand before your peers, associates, congregation, or the people you lead or serve and boldly declare that you have led and served with total integrity? These are days when people and leaders of integrity are fast becoming extinct. May you and I be people of integrity. May people attest to our integrity.