Learning Leadership

Even a Future King is Not Perfect

We continue our study of the life of David today, but we are taking a turn in how we look at David's life.

In chapter 29 of 1 Samuel we start to see some of the parts of David that are less admirable and less commonly talked about regarding his character. David was not perfect and he had faults (just as we all do). This chapter brings to light some of those faults.

Let's catch up with David who is hiding from Saul in the Philistine area under King Achish of Gath. David is hiding because he is fearful that eventually Saul is going to catch and kill him. And there were certainly some times when Saul was close to catching David. David has also been raiding towns and killing the people in those towns who were "kinda" allies of the Philistines, but they were also enemies of Israel. 

Now in 1 Samuel 28:1-2 and chapter 29 we see what David does when he must face the results of his previous lies. While doing some research on this passage of scripture I found a great quote which I believe accurately paints a picture of David's current attitude and state of mind:

“Over time David grew weary of Saul’s pursuit and chose to escape to the land of the Philistines. He became vague about his purpose, defensive about his leadership, and lost the trust of Israel. Even great leaders become vulnerable when they grow tired, lonely, angry, or hungry.”[1]

When King Achish tells David that he expects David to help the Philistine army in their next battle against the Israelites, David responds, "Very well. Now you will see for yourself what we can do" (28:2 NLT). Betraying your own country was a big deal in David's time just as it is a big deal today. As a reader it is hard to believe that David is going to follow through with this plan of fighting against his fellow countrymen.

In chapter 29 we see David marching at the rear of the Philistine troops with King Achish. From a reader's perspective it appears that David is going through with this plan to kill his fellow countrymen. This must have been devastating for David because I am sure he did not want to fight against the Israelites. My guess is that David must of had tremendous inner turmoil about what he should do.

Then, a Philistine commander recognizes David and asks King Achish what David and his Hebrew friends are doing there about to attack Hebrew Israelites. The end result of the chapter is that the Philistine commanders do not allow David to go to battle with them because they are afraid he will turn against the Philistines and kill them. Thus, King Achish is forced to send David back to Ziklag. 

Luckily, David is not required to fight his own countrymen, the Israelites. 

Because David was operating in fear, he made a poor decision to go and live with the Philistines where he believed he was safer from Saul. Then, that poor decision led to the possibility that he might have to fight against his home country of Israel, his king, Saul, and his best friend, Jonathan. 

Saying that David is less than perfect is an understatement in this passage.

Here are three changes we have seen David make:

1. Previously David was loyal to Saul, Israel, and His God. Now he is loyal to King Achich, Philistia, and he has abandoned his God. 
2. Previously David held on to God's promise. Now he has given up on that promise.
3. Previously David was a servant (and armor bearer) to King Saul. Now he is a servant to King Achish and Philistia.

While thinking about this chapter through the lens of David and his character, I believe it might be a lesson for us that we do not have to be perfect. Maybe it is a lesson that God loves us and that he wants us to follow Him, but even after years of faithful service, when we fall away, God can still use us for good.

I believe David is perfect in some areas, and in some areas he is not perfect.

David is perfect in the fact that he is a man after God's own heart. In 1 Samuel 13:14 Samuel declares, "for the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart." That is in reference to David who Samuel anoints to become king at a later time.

David is also perfect in the fact that he served God, Israel, and Saul for most of his life. With the minor exception of the 16 months David and his men lived with the Philistines, David always faithfully served God, Israel, and Saul.

David is not perfect because he abandoned God by going to the Philistine territory. In those times, the people had a strong belief that God was in a place, and that place for a Israelite was in Jerusalem. When David fled to the Philistine area, he abandoned God.

David is also not perfect because he lied. Clearly in chapter 27 David lies about where he has been going and who he has been fighting. There are some biblical scholars who believe David also lies when David confirms King Achish's request for David and his men to fight in the Philistine army against the Israelites. Some scholars believe that David lies to the King about being loyal to them, stating that David's plan was to turn on the Philistines while in battle to continue his allegiance to Israel and his God.

If we look at this chapter to see that even a future king is not perfect, the question I think it is good to ask is this: If God's criteria for David to eventually becoming king was David's performance, would God have allowed him to become king? I believe the answer is, "No." God would not have allowed David to become king if God's choice of a king was based on performance. God knows that David is a man after His own heart, and that is what He admires about David (as we learned from 1 Samuel 16, God Looks at the Heart). David seeks to please God and faithfully follow Him.

In fact, my friend Gene Hill believes that God uses our imperfection. He believes God uses it as a way to draw us closer to God and that it allows us to point to God when good things happen because they are not all on our own.

Another great quote that I believe summarizes our point that a future leader does not need to be perfect is when Andy Stanley comments on David:

“While the details of our lives may overlap very little with David’s, there is one thing we all have in common with him. We’ve all put God’s grace to the test. We have broken his law. We’ve been irresponsible with his blessing. We’ve confessed a sin only to turn right around and repeat it. It’s those occasions when I begin to wonder, How many times? How many times can I expect God to forgive me for the same sin? All of us in our own ways have wondered, Where does grace end and retribution begin? If David’s story is any indication, grace has no end.”[2]

Question: For God to use you to do great things in the world, do you need to be perfect?

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[1] John C. Maxwell, The Maxwell Leadership Bible, 2^nd ed. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2007), 366.

[2] Andy Stanley, The Grace of God (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.: 2010), 104.

When Operating in Fear, Poor Decisions are Made

Today we move on in our study of the life of David to 1 Samuel chapter 27. 

In our studies we have seen David endure pain, suffering, and fear as Saul has attempted to kill him many times. In this chapter we see David make a poor decision because he is operating from a fearful frame of mind. We can praise David for his faithfulness in past chapters, but today we need to condemn David for his lack of loyalty to God, Saul, Israel, and for his lies. It is good to remember that even though many of us greatly admire David and appreciate him, he was not perfect. This story of David in chapter 27 is an example to us of what to do and what not to do.

“As chapter 27 begins, David seems to be at the end of his tether. He and his men can go nowhere without Saul’s pursuing them. David is aware that, in spite of Saul’s words promising change, nothing has really changed in the relationship. . . . God did not protect David from experiencing difficult periods in his life, but He did work through those experiences to prepare him for the throne.”[1]

Chapter 27 begins with David thinking, "Someday Saul is going to get me. The best thing I can do is escape to the Philistines. Then Saul will stop hunting for me in Israelite territory, and I will finally be safe" (27:1). So David, his 600 men, and their families pack up and head to Philistine territory. They arrive and King Achish of Gath (which is a Philistine city) allows them to stay there in Gath. Then King Achish gives them the town of Ziklag to live in. While living in the town of Ziklag David and his warriors make regular raids against towns and people who are enemies of Israel and the Philistines. However, David lies to King Achish about where he and his men are making their raids. Then the Philistine men muster their army for a battle against Israel, which is David's home country--a country he fought for most of his life and loved but has now fled in fear of Saul. King Achish tells David that he expects David to fight with him and Philistia in the battle against Israel, and David replies, "Very well. Now you will see for yourself what we can do" (28:2). To abandon your home country and be willing to fight for another enemy nation was a big deal back then. These are some very bold and controversial decisions David is making. I am sure his men must have disagreed with some of these decisions since they were now going to be fighting against the same men they fought along side while living in Israel. This leads us to the lesson we can learn from David that when operating in fear, poor decisions are made. 

Operating in Fear Leads David to Make These 5 Poor Decisions

1. David abandons God (27:2)
2. David abandons his king (27:2)
3. David abandon his country of Israel (27:2)
4. David puts his family and warriors in danger (27:3)
5. David lies (27:10)

But, why is David operating in fear? David operates in fear because he leans on his own understanding, not God's. In 1 Samuel 27:1 we see David thinking about the way to solve his issue of feeling unsafe by his own understanding. David does not consult God about how to stay safe from Saul. In addition to that, David makes the decision to escape to the Philistines without any input on what God wants him to do. David also chooses to live in Philistia instead of remaining faithful to God by living in Israel. The Bible is very clear that lies are not pleasing to God and are not His will. David lies and deceives King Achish about where and who David and his men are actually raiding.

We also notice that David almost gives up on God's promise to him about someday becoming king of Israel. God has promised to David through Samuel's anointing that someday David will become king of Israel. But, escaping to the Philistines is not a very good idea if you still plan to become king! Instead of operating in fear, David needs to operate in courage. Instead of trying to not be killed, David needs to be courageous and stand for what he believes in.

A couple of things David can do to operate in courage are to:

1. Remember God's promise: It has been several years since Samuel anointed David with oil symbolizing God's promise that David would be king of Israel. David needs to remember that promise and do his best to hold on to it.
2. Believe in God's ability to outwit Saul: Several times already David has escaped when Saul was close to capturing him. Each time God has helped to keep David safe. 

The lesson for us is to prevent ourselves from operating in fear. We do that by:

1. Staying in God's word: Reading the Bible is encouraging and helps us stay close to God. 
2. Remembering the promises God has given us: I always write down in my prayer time what I feel God telling me. This allows me to go back to the promises over and over again to remember exactly what He has told me so I can continue to follow His will for my life and do what is right.
3. Keeping Strong and Encouraging Friends: Strong and encouraging friends are the most valuable to you in the bad times. Earlier we learned about how David allowed his best friend to help him, and we too can do that in our own lives.

Question: How do you keep from operating in fear?

 

[1] Kenneth L. Chafin, The Communicator’s Commentary: 1, 2 Samuel (Dallas, TX: Word Books), 213.

Review of 10 Chapters of 1 Samuel and 10 Lessons of David

Thus far we have worked through 10 chapters of 1 Samuel and 10 lessons from the life of David.

I hope this study has been as beneficial for you as it has been for me. I am learning about how to faithfully follow the leader above me, how to hold on to God's promise in my life, how to deal with discouraging times, and how to allow a best friend to help me.

Chapter 26 of 1 Samuel allows a great opportunity for us to pause in our study of the young life of David to reflect on what we have learned. Several of the lessons we have already studied from David's life are found in this chapter. Below are the lessons we have learned followed by the text of 1 Samuel 26. Together let's take a look at 1 Samuel 26 and see what lessons we can observe again. 

(chapter) – (title of lesson) 
16 – God Looks at the Heart of a Potential Leader, Not the Skills
17 – Preparing for Leadership When You are Not in Leadership
18 – Faithfully Serve in Spite of the Leader
19 – It Is Ok to Hurt When We Have Done Good
20 – A Best Friend Helps Us
21 – Hold on to God’s Promise
22 – You Don’t Need a Title or Power to Do Good
23 – No Matter How Tough Things Might Be, Seek God’s Guidance
24 – Never Hurt the LORD’s Anointed One
25 – Keep Faith and Keep Patience

Now that you have a brief review of the lessons we have learned over the past couple weeks, let's look at the text and see what we can observe.

1 Samuel 26

1Now some men from Ziph came to Saul at Gibeah to tell him, “David is hiding on the hill of Hakilah, which overlooks Jeshimon.”

2So Saul took 3,000 of Israel’s elite troops and went to hunt him down in the wilderness of Ziph.3Saul camped along the road beside the hill of Hakilah, near Jeshimon, where David was hiding. When David learned that Saul had come after him into the wilderness,4he sent out spies to verify the report of Saul’s arrival.

5David slipped over to Saul’s camp one night to look around. Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of his army, were sleeping inside a ring formed by the slumbering warriors.6“Who will volunteer to go in there with me?” David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother.

“I’ll go with you,” Abishai replied.7So David and Abishai went right into Saul’s camp and found him asleep, with his spear stuck in the ground beside his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying asleep around him.

8“God has surely handed your enemy over to you this time!” Abishai whispered to David. “Let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t need to strike twice!”

9“No!” David said. “Don’t kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord’s anointed one?10Surely the Lord will strike Saul down someday, or he will die of old age or in battle.11The Lord forbid that I should kill the one he has anointed! But take his spear and that jug of water beside his head, and then let’s get out of here!”

12So David took the spear and jug of water that were near Saul’s head. Then he and Abishai got away without anyone seeing them or even waking up, because the Lord had put Saul’s men into a deep sleep.
13David climbed the hill opposite the camp until he was at a safe distance.14Then he shouted down to the soldiers and to Abner son of Ner, “Wake up, Abner!”

“Who is it?” Abner demanded.

15“Well, Abner, you’re a great man, aren’t you?” David taunted. “Where in all Israel is there anyone as mighty? So why haven’t you guarded your master the king when someone came to kill him?16This isn’t good at all! I swear by the Lord that you and your men deserve to die, because you failed to protect your master, the Lord’s anointed! Look around! Where are the king’s spear and the jug of water that were beside his head?”

17Saul recognized David’s voice and called out, “Is that you, my son David?”

And David replied, “Yes, my lord the king.18Why are you chasing me? What have I done? What is my crime?19But now let my lord the king listen to his servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against me, then let him accept my offering. But if this is simply a human scheme, then may those involved be cursed by the Lord. For they have driven me from my home, so I can no longer live among the Lord’s people, and they have said, ‘Go, worship pagan gods.’20Must I die on foreign soil, far from the presence of the Lord? Why has the king of Israel come out to search for a single flea? Why does he hunt me down like a partridge on the mountains?”

21Then Saul confessed, “I have sinned. Come back home, my son, and I will no longer try to harm you, for you valued my life today. I have been a fool and very, very wrong.”

22“Here is your spear, O king,” David replied. “Let one of your young men come over and get it.23The Lord gives his own reward for doing good and for being loyal, and I refused to kill you even when the Lord placed you in my power, for you are the Lord’s anointed one.24Now may the Lord value my life, even as I have valued yours today. May he rescue me from all my troubles.”

25And Saul said to David, “Blessings on you, my son David. You will do many heroic deeds, and you will surely succeed.” Then David went away, and Saul returned home. (New Living Translation)

Here are a few of my observations about the lessons being lived out in David's life again.

Never Hurt the LORD's Anointed One (verse 9)
I am not sure why David goes into the camp where Saul is sleeping, but regardless of why David goes into the camp it is illegal to kill the king.

Hold on to God's Promise (v. 10)
David believes that God has a plan and will fulfill the promise made to him through Samuel. David is holding on to God's promise that someday he will become the king of Israel. 

Faithfully Serve in Spite of the Leader (v. 10)
David is committed to doing what is right until his time comes to be king.

Faithfully Serve in Spite of the Leader (v. 15-16)
Abner, regardless of the bad thing that the king is doing (in trying to kill David, an innocent man), should have been protecting the king. Abner is Saul's commander and will become the one who announces Saul's son, Ishbosheth as king over Israel after Saul dies.  

It is Okay to Hurt When we Have Done Good (v. 19-20)
David is sad to not be able to live among his own people because he is "far away [geographically] from God." At that time in history God's presence was believed to be in one place, not inside of each of us as we believe today. For David to have to live in other nations and be "far away from God" is a big deal and must cause him great pain. Not just that, but because of David's need to flee from Saul, David has had to separate from his family.

Never Hurt the LORD's Anointed One (v. 23)
Again, David reminds Saul that he could have killed him but does not. Here David reminds Saul that God is the one in control and with the real power. David knows that at God's chosen time, God will punish Saul for what he is doing and reward David for doing the right thing. 

Questions: What lessons do you see in this chapter? What has impacted you the most?

Keep Faith and Keep Patience

As we have seen from 1 Samuel and some of the Psalms that we have read, David is hurting, sad, and desperate.

When we endure following a poor leader (just as David did), we need to be mindful that we are not as tough as we might think we are. While our leadership and character is tested we might have less patience to handle circumstances and situations that come our way.

Where we left off yesterday in our study of the young years of the life of David is when he restrains himself and his men from killing Saul in the cave. Then, once Saul leaves the cave, David confronts Saul. He says that he (David) is innocent of the accusations that he is trying to harm Saul, but that Saul has tried to kill him. (You think your leader is bad, David's leader actually threw spears at him in an attempt to kill him!)

In chapter 25 of 1 Samuel we get to see David's patience tested.

In this chapter David has moved down to the wilderness of Moan where he and his men are protecting the herds of a wealthy man named Nabal who owns 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats. It was a common practice at that time for brave men to help protect shepherds and sheep from wild animals and thieves. Sheep were often the main income for families so this was a very important task.

David hears that it is time for Nabal to shear the sheep and collect the profits. So he sends 10 of his men to ask Nabal for a "tip" for their efforts to keep Nabal's sheep and shepherd's safe in the wilderness. Nabal harshly turns David's 10 men away saying they deserve nothing.

When the men return to tell David that Nable refused their request, David loses it and says to his men, "Get your swords!" (25:13). David and 400 of his men head toward Nabal's home intending to kill him, saying, "A lot of good it did to help this fellow. We protected his flocks in the wilderness, and nothing he owned was lost or stolen. But he has repaid me evil for good. May God strike me and kill me if even one man of his household is still alive tomorrow morning!" (25:21-22). David is clearly on a mission to kill Nabal and every man part of Nabal's household.

Luckily for David, Nabal's wife, Abigail, greets him with gifts, grace, and respect. These gifts along with her sincere apology for angering the anointed king of Israel eases David's anger. Thanks to Abigail's discernment and quick response to David's men, who were harshly turned away by Nabal, David decides not to kill Nabal and everyone in his home.

David's faith in God's promise and patience waiting for that promise to come true helps David refrain from killing Nabal and his household. That would have been something David regreted for a long time. Abagail says to David, "When the LORD has done for my master every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him leader over Israel, my master will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the LORD has brought my master success, remember your servant" (vs. 30-31).

The point of this story we are going to focus on is that David was at the end of his rope. He was almost killed by Saul on multiple occasions, is running from Saul, and has lost most of the prestige he had received as a leader, warrior, and commander in the Israelite army. When he is denied by Nabal, David loses all self control. He becomes angry, grabs his sword, and swears to kill Nabal and lots of innocent people.  

It is akward to say, but this is a position many of us may find ourselves in as we struggle with working for a poor leader or having to deal with situations we can no longer tolerate. 

Here are a few observations of David's faith and patience:

• Faith: reliance, loyalty, or complete trust in God; a system of religious beliefs. (NLT Study Bible)
• Patience: the power or capacity to endure without complaint; something difficult; disagreeable; for bearable; long suffering. (NLT Study Bible)
• After all of the running, hiding, and restraint, David does not have any patience left.
• David responds quickly without any thought. In fact, he responds in anger.
• David's emotions (and hunger) control his actions. 

Because David "ran out of faith and patience" he almost did something he would have regretted at a later date. If he would have killed Nabal and everyone in Nabal's household it would have been a terrible mistake that might have haunted David for years.

Know what happens in your life that takes away your faith and patience.

What takes away my faith and patience is when I do not get alone time in the morning with God. I have written about this before, but in the mornings I need at least an hour to journal, read my Bible, and pray. When I am able to have that time alone with God I feel grounded, centered, and ready to take on the day and handle it well. If I have several days where I do not have that time with God, I quickly become irritable, lose my tempter, and anger easily. My friend Daniel experiences less faith and patience when he is overly busy and when he does not get quiet time. You might have a similar thing that happens when you begin to have less faith and patience.

While studying the life of David in Chuck Swindoll's book, David: A Man of Passion and Desinty, Chuck reminds us:

God doesn’t give you patience on credit. Every day is a new day.[1]

Every day is a new day and we will need to keep faith and patience. Every day we must remind ourselves of the promises God has given us and the faith we have in Him.

We might not be as lucky as David to have someone to prevent us from doing something we will regret. We need to be careful and find ways to keep our faith in God and stay patient to wait for His promises to come true.

Question: For us as leaders, what happens in our lives that puts us in a position of patience and faith?

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[1] Churck Swindoll, David: A Man of Passion and Destiny (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1997), 106.

Never Hurt the LORD's Anointed One

February 20, 2012 Update: I noticed some areas for improvement in the titles and grammar of this post and have made them. Enjoy!

Today we will cover one of my favorite topics in our study of the life of David in his young years before becoming king. It is also is the most important of all the lessons we will learn from the life of David. We will learn a principle from David: "never hurt the LORD's anointed one." Our study of the life of David today is from 1 Samuel 24 and Psalm 142.

In the last chapter, we saw David barely escape from Saul because as Saul approached David, Saul received news that the Philistines were raiding Israel. Thus the Israelites needed Saul and his men to protect the city, so Saul and his men could not continue to pursue David and his men.

In chapter 23 we also see David looking to God for discernment on what to do. David does not look to his circumstances as the basis of God's direction, but David looks to God to tell him what to do. In chapter 24 we get to see a glimpse into why David does what he does. We get to know why he does not hurt Saul, the man who is trying to kill him.

Rarely when reading scripture do we get to read about what was going on in the mind of people are studying. When reading the Bible we mostly read about people's actions. Rarely do we get to read about what they were thinking. In this chapter we get to know what David is thinking which is very exciting.

In chapter 24 we find David hiding in a cave in the wilderness of En-gedi. At the same time David is hiding in a cave in En-gedi, Saul has selected 3,000 troops to go into the wilderness in search of David (with a plan to kill David).

While Saul and his 3,000 men are traveling, they stop to allow Saul to walk into a cave to "relieve himself" (1 Samuel 24:4). What happens next is hard to imagine because Saul walks into the same cave that David and his 600 men are hiding in.  

This is David's chance to kill the man who is trying to kill him. The 600 men with David in the cave say, "'Now's your opportunity!' . . . . 'Today is the day the LORD was talking about when he said, 'I will certainly put Saul into your power, to do with as you wish'" (1 Samuel 24:4).

David has the opportunity to kill Saul. He creeps up to him and cuts off the end of his robe. Cutting off the end of Saul's robe was not necessarily an attempt to kill the king, but it was something that threatened Saul's role as the king because his robe was a sign of his kingship. 

Then, something dramatic happens inside of David that gives us a glimpse into the thinking and heart of this amazing leader. We learn that David's conscience begins to bother him because he cut off the corner of Saul's robe. David knew it was wrong and because he had negatively affected the king, it bothered him, and he felt that he had sinned.

David says, "The LORD knows I shouldn't have done it ['it' being the cutting of Saul's robe]," . . . "It is a serious thing to attack the LORD's anointed one, for the LORD himself has chosen him" (1 Samuel 24:6). 

David, realizing that he should not hurt the LORD's anointed one, allows Saul to leave the cave unharmed with the exception of the corner of Saul's robe having been cut off. 

The major lesson we can learn as leaders from this encounter between David and Saul we can learn as leaders is that David did not hurt the LORD's anointed one even though Saul tried to kill him. You may be saying, "But wait, David had been anointed by Samuel in chapter 16 to be king. David was anointed to be king and was supposed to be king." That is true, but God had placed Saul as the king of Israel, and David was under Saul as king. David had been anointed to become king in Israel, not to be king immediately. 

So, why did David not hurt the LORD's anointed one with Saul right there within reach? One swing of a sword and Saul would be dead and David would become king. Here are three reasons why I believe David did not hurt Saul.

3 Reasons David Never Hurts the LORD's Anointed One

1. David's men perceived Saul walking into their cave as a God thing, but David did not.
2. David was wise enough not to take action based only on circumstances. (Which, is something we can all learn from.)
3. David still shows tremendous respect for Saul by calling him lord and king and father.

David faithfully follows Saul and refuses to hurt him.

David follows Saul and obeys him because Saul is the LORD's anointed one. God has chosen Saul to be king over Israel, and David is a servant of that king. It is against the law to kill the king, thus killing Saul to become the king would not be God's will. 

God will not ask us to violate His laws and principles in order to fulfill His will. For me in my job as a fundraiser, God is not going to ask me to steal millions of dollars from wealthy people (which is, by the way, very against the law) in order to feed people who are hungry. He is not going to ask me to do something which is against the law and His will in order to fulfill His will in my life.

In other words, David sees the bigger picture than what is directly in front of him. He knows that God has called him to become king someday, and he is not going to allow himself to sin in order to be king. He is committed to doing what is right and allowing God to fulfill his promise. 

David confronts and challenges the king.

Even though we are not allowed to hurt the LORD's anointed leader, we are allowed to confront the leader based on what he has done. We see this happen later in the chapter when Saul walks out of the cave. David following and confronts Saul about the things Saul has done to David. David calls Saul out, telling him that David has deserved none of the poor treatment that Saul has thrown his way.

As leaders, we are not allowed to hurt the leader above us, but we are allowed to confront and challenge the leader above us if we disagree with what he is says or does.

Don't hurt the leader we are supposed to follow.

There are many ways that we might hurt the leader we work under and follow. We might hurt him physically by touching or hitting him. We might negatively affect her by the words we say. We might hurt him politically by talking poorly about the leader. And we might hurt the leader spiritually if we treat her poorly. These are all easy things (that come naturally) so we need to be concious to not do them. Don't hurt the leader!

Here's a great quote which I think wraps up this chapter and summarizes how David navigates not hurting the LORD's anointed one.

He [David] does not treat Saul as an opponent, but as a threat from which to flee. David does not eschew using his popularity (1 Sam. 18:7-8) to undermine Saul’s position because he feels subjective pity for Saul. His heart does not smite him on cutting Saul’s royal robe because he feels that Saul has been dealt a cruel hand by God. He does not express the feeling that Saul is an unfortunate position, as a king whose authority the Lord has withdrawn. He shows reverence for Saul’s person because Saul, like Cain, bears the mysterious mark of “the Lord’s” protection. The sign of anointing was holy ground for him. . .[1]

Question: How do you plan to never hurt the LORD's anointed one?

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[1] Francesca Aran Murphy, Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible: 1 Samuel (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press: 2010), 235.

No Matter How Tough Things Might Be, Seek God's Guidance

I'm not sure about you, but I am loving this study about how to faithfully follow and work under a leader.

The past couple of days and weeks we have learned about how you do not need a title or power to do good, why we need to hold onto God's promise for our lives, how a best friend helps us, and why it is ok to hurt when we have done good. 

Today we are studying chapter 23 of 1 Samuel and Psalm 24. The title for today's study is, No Matter How Tough Things Might Be, Seek God's Guidance.

In chapter 22 we learned about how David did not need a title or power to do good when it came to protecting his family and a dead priest's son, Abiathar. Now that David has safely secured his family and has committed to protect Abiathar he hears news that "the Philistines [the arch enemy of the Israelites] were stealing grain from the threshing floors" (23:1).

The Philistines stealing grain from the threshing floors was a serious deal back in David's time. Grain was one of the main ingredients in much of their food and was vital for health and stability. David is in a tough situation here. He is hiding from Saul, yet David goes to God and asks if he and his men should fight the Philistines to prevent them from taking the grain.

Another time we see David seek God's guidance in his difficult circumstances is when Saul hears that David is in the city of Keliah, where David and his men had just defeated the Philistines.  Saul determines that he is going to go there and capture or kill David. David learns that Saul is coming to the city of Keliah and David immediately goes to God asking for His guidance. As David goes to God for guidance, God tells David that the leaders of the city of Keliah will betray him to Saul if he stays there. So David and his men decide to leave the city based on God's instruction.

Here is some great commentary about what goes on in chapter 23 and David's response:

David sought the Lord’s guidance before he took action, probably through the Urim and Thummim that Abiathar the priest had brought (23:6). He listened to God’s direction and then proceeded accordingly. Rather than trying to find God’s will after the fact or having to ask God to undo the results of our hasty decisions, we should take time to discern God’s will beforehand. We can hear him speak through the counsel of others, through his Word, and through the leading of his Spirit in our heart, as well as through circumstances.[1]

Throughout all of these stories of David it is good to keep in mind that we are seeing his inward qualities that might be why God chose him to be king. As we learned back in 1 Samuel 16, David had been anointed to eventually become the king of Israel (the position which Saul currently holds) by Samuel who was the prophet and judge of Israel. In order for Samuel to anoint David to become king there must have been specific character traits and qualities David had as a young boy that would have allowed David to be a good king. And I believe these stories we are reading about David reveal some of those qualities, which led God to choose him to (eventually) be king of Israel. These two stories of David seeking God's guidance are a glimpse into the character qualities that might be why God chose him to be king.

Here's a few other observations about David from this chapter:

1. David was not operating on Saul's direction. He was operating with Saul's permission. Meaning: David was doing something (by going to Keliah to defend the Israelites from the Philistines) that Saul would have wanted him to do, and would be ok with him doing.
2. David waits for God's direction, not the king's direction.
3. We see David's reliance on God and maybe an example of why he is called a "man after God's own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14).
4. David asks for God's guidance eight other times in 1 & 2 Samuel. 

David seeks and follows God's guidance.

David was able to use the ephod that Abiathar brought which probably had the urim and thummim. The urim and thummim were how priests and leaders determined God's will in those times. We also see that David goes directly to God to ask for his guidance.

If we work under a poor leader we should seek God's guidance more.

My friend says that when things are bad at work, he seems to run more away from God, which might be a natural tendency of most of us. However, the worse the leader we work under, the more we should seek God's guidance. Just as David had to seek God's protection and help when Saul became a poor leader, we too need to seek God's guidance and help when we work under a poor leader.

We need to seek God's guidance and follow it.

My friend also believes that it might be a blessing to have a weak or poor leader.

Why?

Because when you have a weak or poor leader you learn to come closer to God. When working for a poor leader we need to seek God's guidance about what to do in difficult situations. If you work for a poor leader there will be odd circumstances you find yourself in where you will not know what to do and that is where where we need to seek God's guidance and follow it.

When you have a weak or poor leader you are able to grow him or her through your submission. You grow that leader through your submission because you show her what it means to be a faithful follower and being an example of a great employee.

In closing this lesson, there is a song David wrote about this season of his life. I believe the song clearly speaks to us as we go through difficult things and how we should seek God's guidance.

Psalm 54

For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “We know where David is hiding.” To be accompanied by stringed instruments.

¹Come with great power, O God, and rescue me!

Defend me with your might.

²Listen to my prayer, O God.

Pay attention to my plea.

³For strangers are attacking me;

violent people are trying to kill me.

They care nothing for God.

Interlude

⁴But God is my helper.

The Lord keeps me alive!

⁵May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them.

Do as you promised and put an end to them.

⁶I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you;

I will praise your name, O Lord,

for it is good.

⁷For you have rescued me from my troubles

and helped me to triumph over my enemies.

(New Living Translation)

Question: What does it look like for you to seek God's guidance and follow it? 

---

[1] Student’s Life Application Bible (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1997), 291.

You Do Not Need a Title or Power to do Good

Continuing our study of the life of David as he faithfully follows a poor leader (which is Saul) we pick up the story with David leaving the city of Gath. While in Gath David barely escapes the king there by acting insane and drooling down his beard (1 Samuel 21:13).

In 1 Samuel chapter 22 David escapes to a cave where his brothers, relatives, and other men gather with him. The men who gathered with David are in some type of trouble or in debt or just unhappy with their life situation so they run to David to be with him. These men are not the perfect type of followers you want to have in your corner, but that is who David has.

David realizes that he is in danger and that his family might also be in danger so he travels to Mizpeh with his family to keep them safe there. When arriving at the city of Mizpeh he asks the king, "Please allow my father and mother to live here with you until I know what God is going to do for me" (1 Samuel 22:3). The king allows David's parents to stay in Mizpeh while David hides from Saul.

At the end of chapter 22, we see a terrible tragedy take place because of David's actions. Back in chapter 21 David had visited Ahimelech the priest claiming to be on a "private matter." While there David was spotted by Doeg the Edomite who tells Saul that David met with Ahimelech. Saul's horrible response is to kill Ahimelech and all the priests (a total of 85 priests were killed that day). This is another example of Saul's hatred for David and his unreasonable leadership.

At the end of this chapter we learn that Abiathar, one of the sons of Ahimelech escapes from Saul and flees to David. When Abiathar reaches David he tells David about how Doeg the Edomite and Saul have just killed 85 of the priests. This greatly troubles David because he realizes he is partially responsible for what happened.

With that said, from this passage of scripture we can see that David shows us that you do not need a title or power to do good because David takes care both his family and Abiathar. Because David was in so much danger himself it would have been sensible for him to do everything he could to stay safe from Saul. However, he takes a risk and does good by protecting Abaithar and moving his family to keep them safe.

Our actions set into motion events we are helpless to change, for good or for bad,

and the lives of others are affected.[1]

3 Interesting Insights about David:

1. David attracts 400 men, but he does not take any action to overthrow Saul.
2. David does the best he can while in the place he is with the people he has.
3. David's great grandmother Ruth was a Moabite, so David led his family to Moab to keep them safe.

David has no title or power.

David is running in the wilderness and hiding from King Saul who wants to kill him. Previously David had power and influence from being the best commander the king had and from his courage to fight, as evidenced in the story of Goliath in chapter 17. Now that David is no longer a member of the Israelite army or serving in Saul's court, he has been has stripped David of all of his title, power, and influence.

We can learn a lot about David's character from how he cares for his parents and Abiathar.
It is encouraging to see that David still cares for his parents. Much like people do today, when David is in trouble he works to make sure his family is safe financially and physically.

If you think back to chapter 16 of 1 Samuel you will remember that David was the last son to be presented to Samuel to be anointed as the next king of Israel. David's father had presented every other son in front of the prophet Samuel (who was there to anoint the next king of Israel), and when no sons were left, David's father had to go get David and bring him to Samuel. David was not even considered as a potential king of Israel until there was no one left. 

It is not easy for David to take his family to the city of Mizpeh (inside of Moab) for protection. David has to travel about 60 miles from Adullam to Mizpeh, which is a difficult journey back then. This shows David is committed to keeping his family safe even though they have to travel 60 miles on foot.

And finally, we see here that David risks himself to protect those who are close to him. He risks his life to make sure his family is safe.

Question: Regardless of the title or power we have, how can we do good?

---

[1] Kenneth L. Chafin, The Communicator’s Commentary: 1, 2 Samuel (Dallas, TX: Word Books, 1989), 181.

Much thanks goes to Mark Sanborn who wrote an entire book that helped to form some of my thinking on this Bible lesson. His book is titled, You Don't Need a Title to be a Leader.

Hold on to God's Promise

Today we continue our story of the life of David seeking to learn what we can to be good followers of the leader above us.

We pick up on the story in 1 Samuel chapter 21. In chapter 20 David hides out in a field and Jonathan comes to tell him that Saul has a plan to kill him. So, David decides to run away. 

In chapter 21 (which you can read here for free) David goes to see Ahimelech the priest in Nob. Ahimelech is surprised to see David and asks why he is traveling alone. David slightly misleads Ahimelech saying that "The king has sent me on a private matter" (v. 2). Little does Ahimelech know that David is running from Saul and trying to keep from being killed!

This is a tough time for David. He has had to run from his king, Saul; his best friend, Jonathan; and his wife, Michal. He is all alone in another town having to lie about why he is there. Bible Teacher Chuck Swindoll captures the context of David's frame of mind beautifully when we writes,

“David had a position and he lost it. He had a wife and he lost her. He had a wise counselor [Samuel], and he lost him. He had a friend [Jonathan], and he lost him. He had self-respect, and he lost it” [1]

This must have been a tough time for David. He is the man who had killed Goliath, the one who women sang songs about, a mighty commander of war, and a husband to the king's daughter. Yet, he is hiding like a fugitive. 

David goes to Nob to see Ahimalech the priest and gets a fresh reminder of the past, back to the days when he was given the freedom to shine, when he thought he was soon to be king. Up until that time, David was tending sheep in the field. Then he went out into battle, killed Goliath, and might have thought “this is it” or “here we go!”

In Nob, David asks Ahimelech, "Do you have a spear or sword?" (v. 8) to which Ahimelech replies, "I only have the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the vally of Elah" (v. 9). To that David replies, "There is nothing like it! Give it to me!" (v. 9)  

Let's stop for a moment to examine the different ways David could have interpreted the finding of Goliath's sword that was taken from the giant he killed in front of the entire Israelite and Philistine army in 1 Samuel 17.

David had a promise given to him back in 1 Samuel 16 that he was to become king, someday. Even though he has risen to great fame and respect among the people of Israel, David has recently left Israel because of threats against his life from the king who is the one person who should have been happy and supportive of David (since David was considered to be the greatest of all of Saul's commanders).

That sword of Goliath could have been terribly discouraging to David. It could have reminded him of what he once had and once had been in the eyes of Saul. It could have reminded him of the promise that God had made which had not yet been fulfilled.

Or, this sword of Goliath could have been very encouraging to David. It could have served as a reminder of the great promise God had given to him to one day be king of Israel. And that interpretation of the sword--the encouraging reminder of what God had promised to David is exactly how he perceives it. The sword is a wake up call for David to remember what God had already promised but had yet to come to pass. 

Now that we know David uses the sword as a reminder of God's promise to him, here are a few questions to help us think about this story and how it applies it to our own lives.

We as leaders need something to hold on to as a reminder of what God has promised to us.
As we have seen in this story, that tangible item for David is Goliath's sword. It is something that David can touch and feel. It reminds him of Goliath, who defied and cursed against David's God and whom David eventually killed in God's name on behalf of the entire Israelite army.

For us as leaders, maybe this is the Bible. It is God's inspired word given to us with lots of promises that God will guide us, protect us, and provide for us. Maybe it is an encouraging letter someone who you greatly respect sent to you.

When in a difficult and hard place, we will have to go somewhere and do things that we never thought we would have to do.
This is definitely what happened with David's situation in 1 Samuel 21. He probably never would have thought that his own king would threaten his life to the point he would have to flee to another city away from the king. He never would have imagined he would have to lie to a priest in order to hide the reason he was running away from a king like a fugitive would have to do.

Question: What is God's promise you are having to hold on to right now? 

---

[1] Church Swindoll, David: A Man of Passion and Destiny, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1997), 66.

A Best Friend Helps Us

Today we continue our study of the life of David as a following servant and how we can implement that into our own lives.

The topic for our study today is that A Best Friend Helps Us. In 1 Samuel we get to see how the friendship between Saul's son Jonathan is a great help to David's mental and physical survival.

As leaders we are often tempted to be like a lone soldier who does not need anyone. A man or woman who is a John Wayne or Clint Eastwood, but as leaders it is ok to have friends who help us and who are there for us when we need them. In fact, as a leader those friends who can help us are vital for our success in being a leader long-term. If you have been a leader for any length of time I am sure you know that friends can be a great help (if you have a story of how a friend has been a great help, feel free to share it in the comments section below).

One thing that I have noticed in my own life is that who our friends are often dictate how we make it through tough times. The actions we take and who we become through tough times is often dictated by the friends we spend time with. Or, as @HollyCotterill on Twitter recently stated, "Without relationships what's the point? Leaders are only effective to the point they are influential. Friends influence friends." Well said Holly!

Today we are looking at David in 1 Samuel 18:1-4, 19:1-5, and all of chapter 20. In this story David has fled to be with the prophet Samuel at Naioth which is where they are living.

Several times throughout the period when David had been anointed to be king but was not king we see Saul's son, Jonathan helping David. Here's a few examples:

¹After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David.²From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home.³And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself.⁴Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt. - 1 Samuel 18:1-4

¹Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his strong affection for David,²told him what his father was planning. “Tomorrow morning,” he warned him, “you must find a hiding place out in the fields.³I’ll ask my father to go out there with me, and I’ll talk to him about you. Then I’ll tell you everything I can find out.” ⁴The next morning Jonathan spoke with his father about David, saying many good things about him. “The king must not sin against his servant David,” Jonathan said. “He’s never done anything to harm you. He has always helped you in any way he could.⁵Have you forgotten about the time he risked his life to kill the Philistine giant and how the Lord brought a great victory to all Israel as a result? You were certainly happy about it then. Why should you murder an innocent man like David? There is no reason for it at all!”

These are both examples of Jonathan extending his influence for David.

1 Samuel 18:1-4 shows that Jonathan identifies David as being a great warrior by giving David his robe, tunic, sword, bow, and belt. Many theologians believe this was a symbol of Jonathan handing over the throne and kingship to David.

Then in 1 Samuel 19:1-5 we see Jonathan stick his neck out for David to defend him and try to keep Saul from killing David. That must have been a tough thing for Jonathan to do to his father who was the king.

The main chunk of scripture we see David and Jonathan's friendship take place is in chapter 20 of 1 Samuel which you can read here for free.

To orient us to the lesson, let’s look at a few observations from these passages where we can learn about how a best friend helps us.

1. Jonathan loves David and knows that David will eventually become King. (18:3-4)
2. David appears to be frustrated with Saul. (20:1)
3. Even though David has been anointed to become king, he stills bows to Jonathan. (20:41)

Jonathan's friendship is a great gift to David

In this story we clearly see that Jonathan protects David, Jonathan saves his life, and is loyal to him. Despite all of the attacks on David from Saul, Jonathan was that one person David could count on to be there with him in his corner.

The position(s) of the friendship between David and Jonathan often put Jonathan in difficult situations.

The friendship between David and Jonathan put a lot of stress on Jonathan. Their friendship drove problems into the middle of Jonathan and Saul's relationship as father and son. Their relationship began to have so much tension that Saul throws a spear at Jonathan intending to kill him in 1 Samuel 20:33.

Leaders need a best friend who will be there for us when we need him or her

As leaders, we need a best friend who will be there for us when we need him or her. For David, that best friend was Jonathan who was there for him no matter what. Jonathan stood up for David so much that he even had a spear thrown at him and was yelled at by his own father. For you and I, our best friend might be a spouse, a close friend we have known for a long time, or it might be a mentor. Whoever it might be, we all need a best friend who will stand with us and help us.

Question: Who is your best friend?

It is Okay to Hurt When we Have Done Good

Today we are continuing our study of the early years of David's life in 1 Samuel. What we read about in 1 Samuel are key years in David's formation as a young man and future leader of the nation of Israel. These stories are also of tremendous importance to us as leaders because many of us, like David, have a leader we are working to faithfully serve. 

We pick up the story of David in 1 Samuel 19 where King Saul urges his son and servants to kill David. (This was not good!) You may read 1 Samuel 19 here online, or you can just follow my summary below.

Luckily, David has an advocate on his side: Jonathan. Jonathan is the son of King Saul and has become a great friend and ally to David because David is a tremendous warrior and loyal servant to God, Israel, and King Saul.

After King Saul tells his men to go and kill David, Jonathan pulls King Saul aside and reminds Saul of all of the great things David has done. Saul realizes that David has been a loyal servant and he allows David to return to serve him in the court. Later, Saul has a terrible mood swing and throws a spear at David, attempting to kill him. The result is that David flees. Men are sent to his house to kill him, so David escapes to see the prophet Samuel (the man who originally anointed him to become king in 1 Samuel 16). David stays with Samuel while Saul and his men attempt to capture David, unsuccessfully.

There is a song in the book of Psalms in the Bible that David wrote about the time Saul's men had come to his house to arrest and kill him. I will share that with you later to give you an example of how hurt and sad David felt during this period in his life.

Now that we know what happened in 1 Samuel 19, what is there for us to learn as leaders who are not yet leading?

4 Observations from 1 Samuel 19 and Psalm 59

1. We see David's faithfulness. In 1 Samuel 19:4 we read, "The next morning Jonathan spoke with his father about David, saying many good things about him. 'The king must not sin against his servant David,' Jonathan said. 'He's never done anything to harm you. He has always helped you in any way he could'." Verse 8 says, "War broke out again after than, and David led his troops against the Philistines. He attacked them with such fury that they all ran away." Even though David's life has been threatened by king Saul, David still fights the Philistines for his country of Israel as a member of Saul's army.
2. When we do good things for our leader, he can do good for us at a later time. This is shown to us in verse 5 where Jonathan advocates that David should not be killed by boldly stating to Saul, "Have you forgotten about the time he risked his life to kill the Philistine giant and how the LORD brought a great victory to all Israel as a result? You were certainly happy about it then. Why should you murder an innocent man like David? There is no reason for it at all!" Here Jonathan references the time that David killed Goliath and how David has always served faithfully. And because of that faithful service, Jonathan had plenty of "ammo" to throw at King Saul as reasons not to kill David.
3. Even after all that has happened, David still goes back to serve King Saul. King Saul has been plotting to kill David and only lets up because his own son strongly urges him not to. After Jonathan settles King Saul and David knows he is safe, 1 Samuel 19:7 tells us "Afterward Jonathan called David and told him what had happened. Then he brought David to Saul, and David served in the court as before." Even though David has had his own life threatened by the king, as soon as the dust has settled, he goes right back to serving the king as he did before. 
4. Leaders need help. It is safe to say from this chapter of 1 Samuel that if it were not for Jonathan's strong advocacy on David's behalf, David might not have lived. David needed the help of a very influential person to keep himself safe.

With this in mind, here are a few principles to ponder over related to David, the situation he is in, and how he reacts in both 1 Samuel 19 and Psalm 59.

David has a great attitude.
David has a strong certainty that God is going to show up. He loves God, trusts Him, and knows that God will show up to rescue and save him. He believes that God is on his side and that God is going to deliver on His original promise to one day make David king.

We need to manage our good and bad feelings when times are tough working for a bad leader.
We need to keep going, keep moving, and keep making progress. Like David, we cannot give up! When we stay close to God and stay close to friends, not giving up and staying the course becomes easier. At times, we need those close friends who can listen to us and care for one another.

Question: Do you have anything to add or any other leadership thoughts related to 1 Samuel 19 and David?

Faithfully Serve in Spite of the Leader

Today I am continuing to write about the leadership and following principles we can learn from the life of David when he was a young man who had been anointed to be king, but was still under the rule of King Saul.

This week we are in chapter 18 of 1 Samuel which follow's David's triumph of killing Goliath the giant. At this point in time, David and the country of Israel are riding a lot of momentum and are at a high point. Then, we see some troubles that David encounters because of the success he had in defeating Goliath.

If you are not familiar with chapter 18 of 1 Samuel, you can read it in your own Bible or online here.

After studying this chapter in depth, I have created the theme that we as followers should:

Faithfully Serve in Spite of the Leader

In this chapter we see David do exactly that: faithfully serve in spite of Saul. 

There are four important observations we can make about David from this passage:

1. David stayed with Saul and did not go home (v. 2).
2. David faithfully did whatever Saul wanted him to do (v. 5).
3. David continued to be successful in everything he did (v. 14).
4. David was still the most successful (v. 30).

Here are a few of my observations about why and how we faithfully serve in spite of the leader.

As we begin to have success as a young leader, the person above us might not always react kindly.

In this passage of scripture we see Saul become tremendously jealous of David. Saul cares so much about being popular and loved that he can't stand the idea that the people of Israel would say, ". . . Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!" (1 Sam 18:7).

Big deal! David killed more men than Saul. You would think Saul would have gotten over this. In fact, a great leader should have been happy to see one of his own men become more successful than him. That is the true test of leadership: to mentor others and build them up to go on and do greater and bigger things than you as a leader. Instead, we see Saul react negatively when David is praised for being a great warrior.

The implication of this for us as leaders is that as we have those golden opportunities to lead we need to beware of the opposition that we might face from the very person we would least expect it: our leader. In this case, David had his opportunity to show the king and every other Israelite how courageous and mighty he was when fighting Goliath. And when he did, he began to experience opposition for the person who should have been the most happy: Saul.

When we as young leaders start to have success our leader can celebrate with us or work against us. Hopefully you have a leader who celebrates with you.

David served Saul, Israel, and God as best he could regardless of Saul's treatment.

We have no evidence that shows Saul's treatment of David affected David's commitment to serve Saul, Israel, and God. For David, he was first committed to serving God, then to his country of Israel, and the Lord's anointed king, which happened to be Saul.

Regardless of the situation we find ourselves in (or the leader we work under) we should serve the best we can.

David seems to be much more concerned with serving God and the nation of Israel than he is with serving Saul. David was first committed to serving God, then his country of Israel, then Saul.

The secret to us serving our leader faithfully despite our circumstances is not to simply serve our leader. We are to serve God in the process of doing our normal daily job and allow our leader to get in the way of that faithful service to God.

In the sport of golf there is an analogy about how you simply let the ball get in the way of the club as you swing the club. The idea is that you simply imagine that you are swinging a golf club smoothly and you allow the golf ball to get in the way of your smooth swing. If you "try to hit the ball" your swing comes out differently and not as smooth as before. But if you only focus on the smooth swing and nothing else, you have a better chance of hitting the ball well when it just gets in the way of your swing.

The same thing can be applied to leaders. If we do our best to serve God, and simply allow our leader to be above us, we will do great work.

To wrap up this lesson, a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is very relevant to our application of how we need to faithfully serve in spite of the leader:

If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Leontyne Price sings before the Metropolitan Opera. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well. If you can't be a pine at the top of the hill, be a shrub in the valley. Be the best little shrub on the side of the hill.

Question: How do you believe you can faithfully serve in spite of your leader?

Prepare for Leadership When you are Not in Leadership

Today we continue our study through the story of David from the Bible to learn about what it means to be a faithful young leader serving God and the leader above you.

In yesterday's post we saw David anointed to become king of Israel, David returned to his flock of sheep, and then Saul called David to become his musician to help sooth Saul's troubled spirit. (There was a lot that happened in 1 Samuel 16.)

Today we are studying chapter 17 of 1 Samuel to continue our study of the life of David before he became king. Through this study we will learn about leadership and what it means to be a faithful follower of God under another leader even though you feel you have been called to do something great.

So, if you need to, give 1 Samuel 17 a read. 

In chapter 17 of 1 Samuel we see why God has chosen David to be king. The Philistines (who are the enemies of David's country of Israel) are encroaching on Israelite territory. Goliath (the giant warrior of the Philistines) steps on the battlefield in front of the entire Israelite army and challenges one man to come out and fight him.

Five years have passed since David was anointed to become king in 1 Samuel 16. During those five years, David has been a shepherd in the fields and serving as Saul's musician.

In this chapter, we begin to see David's bravery and courage. David is simply delivering a basket of roasted grain and ten loaves of bread to his three brothers who all serve in the Israelite army.

If we study this passage closely we notice that even though David is not a man of war, everything he is doing as a shepherd is preparing him for what he was about to face: a giant.

The Zondervan Handbook to the Bible describes how David is being prepared for what he was about to face:

David’s time in the hills alone with the sheep has added faith to courage—and given him deadly accuracy with the sling. The giant doesn’t stand a chance. Once again God is shown as his people’s protector: all he requires from them is trust and courage to obey.[1]

I believe there is a significant lesson we can learn from this story about how David prepares to lead as king even though he is not in leadership role currently.

What David did as a shepherd prepared him to conquer Goliath (v. 34-35).

Because David had fulfilled his duty and faithfully done his job as a shepherd he had the preparation and experience to fight Goliath. It would have been easy for David to think, "I won't try very hard at being a shepherd because this is not important. But when I become king I will step up and do what needs to be done."

Does David react this way?

Nope!

David was courageous and faithful in defending and fighting for his sheep. David displayed the same courage to defend his sheep for God as he did to fight against men for God. In David's eyes, defending sheep and fighting Philistines are both important because they are both done for God.

David gets his confidence to take on Goliath from God and his experience (v. 36).

In verses 34-37 David tells Saul about how he has already faithfully defended his sheep from lions and bears when he describes that he is going "do it to this pagan Philistine, too" (v. 36). David has defeated lions and bears, and because he has that experience, he is going to defeat this Philistine "too." I believe that we can make the association that David has seen those lions and bears to be opposing his God, so he killed them. Just as those lions and bears opposed him in his faithful work of defending his sheep, he is going to defeat this Philistine who opposes his God.

Question: What can we do today (when not in leadership) to prepare ourselves for the Goliath we have not yet faced (when we have the opportunity for leadership)?

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[1] Zondervan Handbook to the Bible, pg. 261-262

God Looks at the Heart of a Potential Leader, Not the Skills

Most people in America and the world are familiar with the Bible story of David and Goliath.

David is one of my favorite biblical characters to study and for the next few weeks I am going to share a series of blog posts about the leadership and followership characteristics we can observe David during the 15 years he served under King Saul in Israel.

I am very excited about this series of blog posts because many people think of David as the King of Israel who had mighty power and influence. However, it is easy to forget that before David became King of Israel he was born into a little known family and served under King Saul for 15 years.

This study of the young life of David is special for me because at times I feel limited in the difference I can make in my current work position. I feel that God has given me strengths and abilities to lead and teach but I often am not able to do that in the job I work at from 8 AM to 5 PM every day. So, when I read the story of David in his younger years when he had been anointed to become king, yet he had to serve a terrible king for 15 years before becoming King, it speaks to me.

Let's start in chapter 16 of 1 Samuel where we are first introduced to David. 

The setting for 1 Samuel is a time of Israel's history that is mediocre. The people are living lives where they sometimes honor God and at other times they do not. In most of 1 Samuel the prophet Samuel is the judge over Israel and is its unofficial leader. An important part of Israel's history is in 1 Samuel 8:4-5 which tells us, "Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. 'Look,' they told him, 'you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.'" The people express they want a king to rule them so Samuel appoints Saul to rule over them, but Saul quickly sins not once, not twice, but three times, and God is very displeased with Saul. This causes God to decide that He is going to take away Saul's kingship and give it to a man who has a heart focused on God (1 Samuel 13:14).

And that's where we find ourselves in 1 Samuel 16 with Samuel mourning because he knows Saul will no longer be King.

You can follow this link to 1 Samuel 16 and read it for free. 

Before we dig into a few principles from this chapter, there are three observations we can make to help us see the significant part of this story.

1. David probably knew that when Samuel anointed him with oil it meant he was going to be King. (Previously Saul and Aaron had been anointed with oil as a sign they were designed for a significant leadership role.)
2. Even though David knows he will become king, it is clear he is not the king right now.
3. David was not what Samuel was looking for--in fact--David was forgotten by his father when Samuel asked to see each of Jesse's sons. 

In The Maxwell Leadership Bible, John Maxwell makes a great observation on this passage of scripture:

“This young leader [David] first began to surface in 1 Samuel 16—but only God and Samuel recognized his leadership at first. Only after his great and unexpected victory over Goliath did everyone else recognize his special abilities. David’s example shows that true leaders always declare themselves without making any announcements.”[1]  

There are several leadership principles we can learn from this passage.  

 

1. Outward appearance has nothing to do with a potential leader. 

I am sure that Eliab (Jesse's oldest son who was the first to be introduced to Samuel as a potential king) was a tall, strong man who looked like a great candidate for king. And I am sure that Abinadab and Shimea both looked like worthy people of being king. But in the end, the least likely of all of Jesse's sons, David was the one God had chosen to be king. 

2. God does not look at the outward skills of a potential leader, He looks at the heart. 

As we see in 1 Samuel 16, God tells Samuel that God looks at people differently. God does not look at the outward appearance, He looks at the heart. He looks at the intentions, the thoughts, and the motives of that person.

3. Good looks most of all for someone with a heart focused on Him. 

Question: What do you look for in a potential leader?

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[1] John C. Maxwell, The Maxwell Leadership Bible, 2^nd ed. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2007), 346.

Focus on Your Strengths

Great leaders know their strengths.

Discovering your strengths might come to you suddenly after a little thought and effort, or they might start to slowly be revealed to you over a long period of time.  The process will be different for everyone.

In my book I share that I four strengths:

1. Visioning - Seeing the future of what God wants me to create and do to further His kingdom.
2. Thinking - Generating ideas and concepts that will help that vision to become real.
3. Communicating - Communicating that vision and ideas to a group of people either in writing or speaking.
4. Creating - Make daily progress on that vision to create new things and new services to help people.

While you go through your own strengths to discover them you might not end up with four. That just happened to be the ones I ended up with. You might have six, ten or two.  However many you feel you have is fine because there is no right or wrong amount of how many strengths you have.

When discovering your strengths, focus on qualities and characteristics, not on tasks and activities. This is important because a task and activity can often be part of a quality or characteristic. But a quality or characteristic isn’t going to be part of an activity or task.  Notice that my four strengths are primarily qualities I possess. I have great vision, I’m a good thinker, I’m a good communicator, and have the ability to create things.

An example is that I’m a good communicator in many ways. I’m a good communicator when it comes to being diplomatic and helping to find common grown with people. I’m also pretty good at connecting with a person when we’re talking one to one and I’m able to build some rapport to where we feel that we understand each other. And I’m decent at communicating to a group of people. I know how to prepare to speak, I understand how what I say will be perceived, and I know how to use my body language and tone of voice to communicate what my words mean.  As you can see, being a good communicator is a quality that I possess.  But it’s not an activity.  

There are many activities that can take place within that one quality so do your best to find your strengths that are qualities, not just tasks.

Question: What are your strengths?

 

My Thoughts on the Book, Pastoral Ministry According to Paul

Recently I read the book, Pastoral Ministry According to Paul by James W. Thompson. It was a pretty good book based on Thompson's interpretations of several of the Christian New Testament books written (and dictated) by the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul is considered one of the greatest leaders of his time and left for us many of his letters and writings that help guide many Christians in their faith. Whether you realize it or not, the Apostle Paul has had a tremendous influence on you if you are a person of of Christian faith.

Here are some of my notes and thoughts on the book I would like to pass along to you. 

Enjoy.

Thesis: “ministry is participating in God’s work of transforming the community of faith until it is ‘blameless’ at the coming of Christ” (pg 19-20)

Support for Thompson’s Thesis:

1. “Paul’s portrayal of a community that lives in the “now” between God’s creative act of establishing the community and the “day of Chris” is a constant feature in his leaders and the central feature of his pastor theology” (pg 59). 
2. “Paul’s ultimate aim is to create a community that is shaped by the crucified Christ to abandon normal human self-seeking and look to the needs of others” (pg 82).
3. “Paul’s challenge is to ensure the transformation of the community as the prelude for his offering the ‘sacrifice of the Gentiles (15:16), and his work will be complete only listeners responds to his pastoral vision” (pg 116).
4. “Paul declares a pastoral theology of transformation that corresponds to the pastoral theology of the other letters. His pastoral theology is ecclesial, cruciform, and eschatological” (pg. 148).

Two Strengths of Thompson’s Argument:

1. The first strength I have observed from James W. Thompson’s argument about Paul’s pastoral ministry is the extremely in-depth theological research and exegetical research he does throughout the entire book. He has clearly looked at the text of Paul’s letters through the historical context and literary context of that time to make the various above observations.
2. The second strength I observed is how Thompson clearly shows us the difference between Paul’s pastoral ministry priorities and those current everyday 21^st century pastors of America. He writes that in “the present era, the minister is ultimately measured by the ability to organize, build, and manage a complex organization” (pg 9). He then goes on to lay out the pastoral priorities of Paul according to his letters of the New Testament. I believe this is a strength of his argument because he shows us something we might need to reconsider, change, or adapt.

Question for Thompson and why it is important to me:

How do Paul’s pastoral ministry priorities measure up with the needs and demands of today’s pastors?

There are so many demands for a pastor to be a great leader, communicator, financial steward, etc. With these demands, how do I as a leader balance these different areas and the importance of all of them? A pastor has tremendous responsibility, and I believe it is important that we know how a pastor is supposed to balance this ministry wise. 

Ways Pastoral Ministry According to Paul helps me in thought and practice concerning pastoral ministry:

1. This book has helped me to realize part of my goal as a future leader (and possible pastor) is to help people be as the Apostle Paul and Thompson says, “Blameless at his coming.” Whether I do that by teaching others or by cultivating community groups where transformation can take place, I know that the end goal is helping people to be “blameless at his coming.”
2. From what I understand, Paul was not successful 100 percent of the time in getting his pastoral vision accepted by the people he wrote to and served. That is encouraging to me because I need to realize that I don’t have to be perfect 100 percent of the time.

My thoughts and feelings about Thompson’s thesis:

I believe this is a great book for young people with a heart to be a pastor to read. It gives future pastors a clear picture of how Paul did his ministry and provides a goal to shoot in their own ministry of serving others. I believe it helps future pastors realize that the basis of all their work in ministry is to help others participate in transformation and be blameless when Jesus returns. That new paradigm for future pastors is very important as they engage in community, schedule their time, and encourage the people they pastor to engage with lost people in the community. Thompson’s book helps future pastors aim for all the right things.

Question: What are your thoughts about Thompson's writings regarding the Pastoral Ministry of Paul?

LEARNING TO BE A PRAYERFUL BIBLE STUDY PREPARER

Now that I have engaged in much time preparing Bible study lessons as part of my internship with Church Assistance Ministry (CAM) I think I have one area I can improve on.

I have noticed a habit of depending on my own study and insight from the Bible as the main source of my Bible study preparation. Even though I have a good prayer and quiet time every morning, I have noticed that very rarely do I engage in prayer while I am in the middle of studying to prepare a Bible lesson.

I have heard effective Bible teachers talk about often engaging God in prayer before, during, and after they have prepared a sermon or Bible study. Reflecting on my own process of studying the Bible I notice that I often do not engage God in prayer before or during the Bible study process. One goal as part of my internship with CAM for next semester is to develop a habit of engaging myself in prayer before, during, and after my Bible study preparation to ask God to guide me and direct me towards what He wants me to teach.

Question: How do you have a prayerful Bible study preparation time?

FOCUS

Part of my journey as an intern with Church Assistance Ministry (CAM) is learning to focus in on the work I feel God wants me to do. In the past I have heard God tell me to pour out what I am learning so that others can learn too, that I am to go and make leaders of everyday men and women, and that I am not to worry about the needs in the world but to simply pour out what I am learning.

Two of the character qualities God has put in my life is a strong desire to serve people and a tremendous work ethic. These two character qualities work well together when they are focused on a specific area. In past years, I have run into trouble with burnout by allowing my work ethic and desire to serve others to take me in too many directions.

As a result of my internship with CAM and my own practices of writing, developing content, and teaching, I am learning that I need to stay focused in the area I feel God is calling me to. I need to apply my work ethic and desire to serve young leaders by working extremely hard to pour out everything I can for their benefit.

Question: How do you focus in on and stay focused on what you are supposed to do?

DECISIVE LEADERSHIP

One of the many things I am learning as part of my internship with Church Assistance Ministry is that decisive leadership happens after much thought and preparing. Interacting with CAM’s CEO, Steve Elliott, and observing him lead decisively after his own thought and preparation has been a learning experience for me.

Steve seems to discuss his thinking with others, share some of it in emails, gain feedback from others, then make a decision decisively. With the quarterly CAM Board meetings, Steve routinely proposes dates/times to the CAM Board about when and where to meet. After talking about it with people and gaining feedback via email, Steve then makes a decision decisively. Even if people have not always gotten back to him he makes a decision for the benefit of the entire group. Once he has thought through the decision and prepared, he makes the decision.

This has been encouraging to see because Steve does not waste precious time and energy by waiting until the very last minute to make decisions. The benefits of his decisive decisions are that they allow everyone else to keep moving and complete work. As someone who works in small leadership roles I hope to implement a decisive leadership style that emulates what Steve has modeled for me.

Question: What do you believe decisive leadership is and have you seen it lived out?