July Devotional from the Service Center

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Leadership 101

The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: “When one rules over people in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth.

2 Samuel 23:3-4

At the close of King David’s life, he wrote a beautiful song about leadership. The song may have blessed and inspired his son Solomon who was anointed king after David and can continue to challenge each one of us as first year or seasoned leaders within the GEMS ministry today.

1. Leaders must be called and empowered by God. These are the last words of David: “The inspired utterance of David son of Jesse, the utterance of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, the hero of Israel’s songs (2 Samuel 23:1).When David was called to be King of Israel he seemed the least likely candidate of Jesse’s eight sons. Samuel thought that surely the LORD must intend to anoint Jesse’s firstborn Eliab, not his youngest David. God directed Samuel to His qualifications for leadership and said, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Maybe you feel as unlikely to lead within the GEMS ministry as Samuel originally thought David was. It’s not a matter of how you look or how qualified you feel, it’s a matter of the heart. God called and empowered David, and if He calls you to GEMS, He will empower you, too!

2. Leaders must be taught God’s Word through His Spirit. David wrote, The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue (2 Samuel 23:2). David experienced first hand the horrors that took place when the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul (1 Samuel 16:14). To understand and then teach God’s Word, we must be women of the Word who have the light of the Spirit of God shining in and through us! Make David’s prayer your own as you prepare to lead girls next season, Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground (Psalm 143:10).

3. Leaders must fear God (2 Samuel 23:3-4). While King Saul and the Israelites cowered in fear of Goliath, David was willing to fight. Because he feared the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, he had no fear of Goliath. When we fear God, we need not fear the leadership He’s called us to within GEMS. Does it make you afraid or anxious? David experienced that, too, and though his knees may have knocked on occasion, he trusted God. Follow David’s example and serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling(Psalm 2:11).

Wisdom Step: Fear God, not the leadership He’s called you to! What can you do today to prepare for the new GEMS season?

So, where He leads me, I can safely go,

And in the blest hereafter I shall know,
Why in His wisdom He hath led me so.

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