Leading during troubling times

Day 111

OT Reading: 2 Samuel 1-3

NT Reading: Luke 18:1-17

Yesterday and today I was involved in our third annual CCJ Staff/Elders retreat. Each year we set aside time for the whole group to discuss our church's strengths, weaknesses and vision for the next year and on into the future.

For this year's retreat, I was asked to do a brief devotion for our leadership, and considering I'm reading through the entire Bible in a year, I figured that there would be something in recent readings I could discuss. Yesterday's reading provided that very insight, which I'd like to share with you.

As the book of 1st Samuel winds down, in chapter 30 we find that David and his men have been out defending the nation, and fleeing from Saul. Upon returning back to the city of Ziklag a terrible discovery is made...the Amalekites attacked the city while the men were away. 1 Samuel 30:3-4 tells us, "When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep."

Consider David's situation. He is the leader of several hundred men, and yet the families and possessions of each of them had been taken by the raiding Amalekites. If we read on though, we find that the situation worsens. David's very own followers begin whispering and discussing among themselves the idea of stoning David, feeling that he was somehow responsible for all that happened to their families. Obviously, this is not an enviable leadership position to be in...and yet this is exactly where David finds himself. So the question I have is, when David is faced with a difficult situation in life; as a man and as a leader of men, how does he respond? What actions and steps does he take that I may be able to emulate in my own life and in my own leadership?

The very first step David takes is actually very easy to skip over while you read the story. The last sentence of 1 Samuel 30:6 tells us that, "David found strength in the Lord his God." Now consider, David was a "man's man." David was a man who could honestly say he'd killed a lion and a bear as a child. David had stories of the great battles he'd won. David was the leader of a mighty band of soldiers. David was upheld and revered for his leadership, might and military prowess. And yet, when faced with a very situation that he may believe he can handle alone, David recognizes that he cannot do this on his own...his strength must be found in God and not in himself.

The next action David takes is to seek God's will. David, along with Abiathar the priest, goes to God in an effort to discern God's will for how they should respond. Common military sense would have told David to move out and set to attack right away...the less time their wives and children are in captivity, the less opportunity for severe harm to come to them. Therefore it would have made sense to most to move out immediately. However David recognizes that the greatest of soldiers, leaders and men cannot ultimately succeed if they are not in line with the will of God.

Finally, once David finds his strength in God...once he has sought God's will for determining their next step...David does not hesitate in taking action. With the direction of God himself David moves forward whole-heartedly.

The connection between David's approach and ours is a simple one to understand...but not necessarily to live out. Though I hope that as a man, a Christian and a leader...when faced with the various difficult and trying circumstances that I come up against...I pray that I would take a similar approach to that which David modeled.