Every leader will experience the joy and challenge of assuming a new position at some point during their leadership life. Read 1 Kings 2 and 3.

Israel was in a time of transition from David’s leadership to Solomon’s leadership. David had built on his predecessor Saul’s accomplishments and the nation had tremendous wealth, military power, respect and momentum. The time of transition from one leader to another presents one of the most challenging times to continue momentum. The challenge was to successfully take the reins from his father and ensure momentum continued through a smooth transition. Read more »

Leaders by their very nature tend to be people of action. When given a chance to solve a problem that has been plaguing them or the opportunity to complete a task so they can move on to the next phase of a project, leaders generally take the necessary action to finish. Even godly leaders can fall into the trap of action at the moment of opportunity – even when that opportunity may violate other principles God has established in His Word. Leaders seeking to serve God take a moment to discern God’s will even in situations that call for instant action. Read 1 Samuel 26:5-11.

David had been anointed the future king of Israel by the prophet Samuel and through his exploits on the battlefield had great support among the people. Any reasonable leader would have assumed that any day now the Lord would put David in a situation to ascend to the throne. Today’s passage in 1 Samuel brings us to the second David had a chance to take the throne – now. David could have killed Saul and forcefully become king of Israel. He and a fellow soldier were standing over a sleeping Saul, with spears in hand, and could easily have killed him while he slept. Read more »

Every leader has a will and emotions. Unless their will and emotions are committed to the glory of God every day even great leaders can lose perspective from time to time. Read 1 Samuel 25.

In yesterday’s study, we saw David demonstrate great humility, trust in God, discernment of God’s will and personal restraint when he spared King Saul’s life. God received glory because of David’s actions and even Saul, who lived in a dark world of fear, hatred and anger, repented of his ungodly actions. In today’s study, the same God-appointed leader allows his emotions to bring him to the brink of disaster when he is ready to murder another Israelite and his family for offending him through unfair treatment of his men. Read more »

Leaders put a lid on their potential for growth and eliminate expanded leadership opportunities if they continually jump to conclusions before they know all the facts. Read 1 Samuel 1:9-17.

Eli was the Chief Priest at Shiloh. He happened to be in the temple when Hannah came to cry out to the Lord about her childless condition. Hannah was broken hearted and her body language showed total focus on communication with her God. It seems logical that most priests in the temple viewing an emotional outpouring might assume a person with great need was crying out to God. Eli assumed Hannah had been drinking! Read more »

A built in question for a Christian leader is “When does human planning get in the way of trusting God for results?” Or conversely, “When does faith become a leader’s presumption on God, expecting God to do for us what He expects us to do for ourselves?” Read Joshua 8:1-29.

In Chapter 7 we read of the debacle that took place in the first attack of Ai. In Chapter 8 Joshua demonstrates a balance between faith and human planning as the Israelites prepare to attack Ai a second time. God ordered the attack and instructed Joshua to “Set an ambush behind the city,” but gave few other details of the attack. Once God had given Joshua the green light, Joshua planned and carried out the particulars of the attack. Once Joshua knew he had God’s blessing on the project, he gave clear orders to his army in obedience to God’s instruction. There was no hint of uncertainty or indecisiveness; instead, his commands were clear, authoritative and specific. Read more »