Effective leaders interpret the times, see the future and determine the action steps needed to get there. Read Joel 3:1-21.

The nations around Judah and Jerusalem insulted God by the way they treated His people. The last chapter of Joel pronounces judgment on these nations. While the nations around Judah will be judged, God gives hope to the Jewish people by telling them He plans to use them in the process if they take a few steps to right their relationship with Him as they move into the future.

A leader’s true development and growth happen as they develop their character. Read Joel 2:12-14.

In the midst of delivering a message of judgment to the people of Judah the prophet Joel tells the people in verse 12 to “…return to me with all your heart, with prayer and fasting and mourning.” The result of this return is spelled out in verse 14, “…He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing…” The bridge in verse 13 gives some practical advice on how real change is made. Verse 13 says, “Rend your heart and not your garments…” A leader’s real change is not external but internal; real change starts in the heart where character is formed and then becomes part of a leader’s external persona.

Effective leaders are able to read the signs of the times, interpret them, and prepare their team and others for what is ahead. Read Joel 1:1-14.

God gave Joel the wisdom to see a spiritual application from the natural disaster of locusts that was destroying the nation. Joel’s divine intuition enabled him to stay ahead of the times and use the events of the moment to draw timeless conclusions.

Leaders can learn a lot about communication by observing how God communicated with the people of Judah. Read Joel 1:1-20.

God communicated to the people of Judah through His prophets. Verse one says, “The word of the Lord that came to Joel.” Through the words of Joel, God would establish an understanding of some basic principles the people needed to live by. In the specific case of Joel, God had Joel use a physical object lesson that had the people’s attention—a swarm of locust had destroyed all their crops and the people were in danger of starving. This object lesson helped the people understand a spiritual lesson concerning the devastating results of sin. Throughout the Bible, God used many different individuals and a number of different methods to communicate. Leaders can learn a tremendous amount about communication by studying just a few of the methods God used to communicate to His people.

Effective leaders have an intelligent awareness of current events and their relationship to the future. Read Joel 1-3.

Very little is known about the prophet Joel. It is believed he wrote the book of Joel approximately 835 BC. Joel’s message is directed at the people of Judah, the Southern Kingdom. From his writing Joel appears to have been educated, well-read and familiar with the teachings of Micah, Jeremiah, and Isaiah. Joel effectively used a massive locust infestation that occurred during his lifetime as a word picture; utilizing a natural disaster to underscore the message of repentance to avoid a similar surprising and terrifying judgment by God. God’s assignment to Joel was to awaken the people of Judah from their spiritual apathy and provoke them to repentance and a return to Him.