2 Kings 17-18 | John 3:19-36

“I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to Your statutes. I will hasten and not delay to obey Your commands.” Psalm 119:59-60

How are we to lead? As a leader, it is especially important to listen to God and to obey His instructions. In the life of Deborah, an Old Testament prophetess and judge, she received a message from God and told the military commander Barak what God revealed to her and what they were to do: “The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the River Kishon and give him into your hands’” (Judges 4:6-7). Although what Deborah told Barak was from God, Barak was hesitant to follow through unless Deborah went with him. Without hesitation, Deborah answered, “Certainly I will go with you” (Judges 4:9). Deborah was not only prepared to give the word from God to Barak but, if need be, she was willing to go with him and be involved in the battle. A characteristic of good leadership is never to ask others to go where the leader is not willing and prepared to go themselves.

From Deborah and Barak’s obedience to God’s command, God’s Word came to pass as Judges 4:23 tells us, “On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites.” Did we notice that the verse did not say, “Deborah and Barak subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites” but “God”? The result of godly leadership is when people look back at our activities, they praise God. In the New Testament, Jesus said, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). For Deborah and Barak, when the people saw the victory, they did not see Deborah and Barak as its source. Though the people recognized Deborah and Barak as leaders, they saw the source was God. Together, in Judges 5, Deborah and Barak sang a duet, praising God for His deliverance and reciting His righteous acts. Although God was the One who brought victory, He works through His warriors, through His people.

From Deborah’s example, it revealed two indispensable ingredients for any Christian, not just leaders: to obey what God says and trust who He is. These two must go hand in hand together. Why? When we obey what God says, it means stepping out on a limb and trusting that God is sufficient to bring about what He wants to bring about. We will never experience the sufficiency of God without the obedience of stepping out in faith.

PRAYER

Lord God Almighty, thank You for the people that You entrusted me to lead. Help me to be obedient to what You are calling me to do and step out in faith.