Who do you depend on most, God or self? (96-3)
God-honoring leaders will err toward dependence on God rather than self-reliance. Read 2 Samuel 22.
King David was one of Israel’s, and history’s greatest leaders. He was selected by God to be Israel’s leader and even though he had temporary lapses in judgment and made some poor leadership decisions, in his inner, hidden, deeper, secret thoughts, David never questioned where his ability to lead came from. The following are selected thoughts David writes in a song featured in 2 Samuel 22 concerning his deliverance from the hand of his predecessor Saul and the hand of his enemies:
Verses 2-4 – “He said: ‘The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliver; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior – from violent men you save me. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of Praise, and I am saved from my enemies.’”
Verses 17-19 – “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support.”
Verses 28-30 – “You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low. You are my lamp, O Lord; The Lord turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.”
Verses 47-51 – “The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior! He is the God who avenges me, who puts the nations under me, who sets me free from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. Therefore I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name. He gives His king great victories; He shows unfailing kindness to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.”
Effective, godly, wise leaders understand as David did that even though we have a mind and a spirit and physically we take the actions required to do the work and fight the battles, God is the source of our wisdom and power. If we err as leaders, it is wise to err in our trust of God rather than our trust in our own skill, wisdom, and tricks of the trade.
Isaiah 42:16 “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.”
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