A Leader's Call

Today: Joshua 1 & Psalm 37

Scripture:
"Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun." Joshua 1:1

Observation:
The first nine verses of Joshua speak directly to the heart of leadership. The road before the Israelites was long and threatening. They would face many battles and the odds were not in their favor. Joshua, God's chosen leader to replace Moses, stood poised to lead the people into their land.

God tells him three times in the first nine verses to be strong and courageous. In doing this, he gives him three reminders. Joshua's job was there to serve the people, not have them serve him. He was there to call the people to live in obedience to God, not to allow them live for themselves. Finally, he was there to serve as a symbol of strength and stability before the people.

Application:
Just a little leadership 101 this morning. The success of my leadership does not solely depend on my intellect or personality; it is driven by what I value. As a leader my people depend on me for 4 things. First, I must be connected with God's vision for them. Joshua in verse 1 receives his charge from God. In the same way I must stay on my face before God and know with confidence the direction of His leading.

Second, I must live for the benefit of my people. The verse 6 God reminds Joshua that he is leading people to possess their blessing and the land that was promised to them. It is sometimes easy to lose site of this as a leader. My call in life is not the advancement of my own interests; it is the overall health and advancement of my teams best interest.

Third, I must call people to God's standards. In verse 7 God warns Joshua to keep the people pure and holy. As an organization increases in size this becomes more difficult but I can not forget that the success of my team depends upon the purity in which they operate. I can’t stick my head in the sand and ignore behavior counter to the Word of God.

Finally, I can't get rattled. Ever. Joshua is reminded by God in verse 9 to not fear or lose heart. This is the weight of a leader. Pressures rise up. What an individual feels at the bottom of the organizational chart is ten fold at the top. The eyes of my guys are constantly on me. They look to me for confidence and strength. When it comes to showing courage, strength, and confidence I can't afford a bad day.

Prayer:
I find my delight in the depths of Your heart. I commit to You today my way and trust You to do all that Your word promises. I rest in You today because I know Your word never returns void.

Father there is not greater prayer for a leader than Psalm 37 and that is my prayer today. I ask that ever truth in that chapter be revealed in my actions today.