2 Samuel 22:50 - Therefore

Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
     I will sing the praises of your name.

I'm not sure where I heard this, but someone once said, "When the bible says 'therefore', you need to find out what it is there for." That resonated with me as I read David's Song of Praise in Chapter 22. David was faced with huge problems. Problems involving nations. His response to these problems was to go to the Lord. That is why he was a successful leader and probably why God put him in this position of leadership. David praised God, asked God for guidance, followed the guidance, then praised the Lord again. No wonder he was a man after God's own heart.

Lord, We praise you, among the nations, we will sing the praises of your name. Amen.

2 Samuel 19:6 - A leader who listened

You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead.

David was not perfect. David knew it and his trusted advisors knew it. Joab, the leader of David's army, was willing to tell him the truth and David would listen. King David's son, Absalom, had been trying to overthrow his father. They went to battle and his son was killed. Even though his son acted as his enemy he still loved his son and was devastated when he was killed. This was unfair to his armies who had just put their lives at risk for David to defeat his son. Joab pointed this out to David and he listened.

Lord, thank you for giving us people who are willing to tell us when we need to make a correction in our lives. Please help us to listen to these people and help us to be the advisor when needed. Amen

1 Corinthians 4:1 - Christian Leaders

This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.

What makes a good leader? 1 Corinthians chapters three and four are about leaders in the church. These leaders were apparently gaining status and wealth based on who had taught them about Christ. They were focused on reigning and judging. Paul tells these leaders being a leader really means being a servant.

Lord, thank you for making it clear the role of a church leader. Please help us to look for these kinds of people to put in leadership positions. Amen.

Psalm 48:14

For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.

We all have a natural desire to be led. This week I saw a video on Facebook about a mother cat who took in three ducklings. The ducklings were looking for a mama, someone to lead them, teach them what to do, to care for them. We all want guidance in our life and we have to make sure we are following the right leader. With God, his son and his spirit as our guide we can always be confident in his leadership, even if we are led into places and situations we would prefer not to go. God assures he is in control.

Lord, thank you so much for your guidance. Thank you for leading us in the way we should go, all the way to the end of our lives and on to heaven. Amen.

Joshua 1:16

They answered Joshua, "Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.

The Israelites trusted Joshua because they knew God was with him. It's easy to follow a leader when you know they are following God. I think that's true whether it be a parent, a spouse, or a church leader. It is harder to follow a boss or a government because it may not be clear if they are following God.

Lord, help me to always do your will. Help me to follow those who are following you. Help me to be wise in following those who may or may not be following you.  Amen.