GOD LEADS Posted 10.14.08
What do George Bush, Joan of Arc, and Will Sneed all have in common? Leadership!
How did they become leaders? They were chosen. Who did they lead? Those who followed them. How long did they lead? Joan of Arc died at the young age of 19. Will Sneed will preside over Kiwanis only one year. George Bush will leave the White House after eight (8) years.
Human beings depend on leaders to rise up and guide them in the proper direction. The key phrase there is “the proper direction.” Unfortunately, we often allow men and women to lead us who have no business doing so. Even when we choose appropriate leaders, they cannot lead forever.
There is only one permanent answer to our need for godly leadership – God Himself! We serve a God who leads. How well are we following? Have we chosen to submit to His leadership? Are there times when we refuse to let Him lead?
Let’s examine God’s leadership activities and ponder the depth of our commitment to follow Him above all others.
Where does God lead us?
God Leads to Physical Places
God leads away from disaster as when He led Lot and his family out of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 9:16). The tragedy of that story was Lot’s wife who just did not want to be led away.
God leads toward future plans as when He led Abraham’s servant to find Rebekah for Isaac (Genesis 24). Don’t miss His choices for your life!
God leads to freedom as proven when He led the Israelites through the Red Sea (Psalm 77) and around by the desert road (Exodus 13, Deuteronomy 8). Sometimes His path seems awkward and frightening, but He is a good Leader. We must trust Him.
God leads to strange experiences as when He led Ezekiel back and forth among dry bones (Ezekiel 37), and when Jesus led the blind man outside the village to put mud on his eyes
(Mark 8). But no matter how strange the situation, if God is in charge it is worth participation.
God leads His people to places He knows best, but we must choose to follow.
God Leads to Spiritual Realities (most important)
His command leads to eternal life (John 12:50). His Word will always work wonders within us if we allow Him to speak to our hearts through it. We mustn’t approach His Word as a “to do” list or with preconceived ideas. He has fresh words every single time.
His truth leads to godliness (Titus 1:1). Lies lead to destruction and pain. Which will we choose?
God’s kindness leads to repentance which leads to salvation (Romans 2:4, 2 Corinthians 7:10). Turning from life without God to salvation in Jesus is the greatest reality available to each person.
As we choose to follow Him daily, God leads us in triumphal procession in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14). If we only seek earthly victories, our life is shallow. Let us follow God to eternal success!
While some of the places He leads (physically and spiritually) may seem frightening or completely out of the ordinary, we must remember that He is Trustworthy as our Leader. When we choose to follow Him some places and not others, we miss God's best for our lives.
How does God lead?
God leads with kindness (Hosea 11), unfailing love and strength (Exodus 15:13), and gentleness (Isaiah 40:11).
God leads by His Spirit (Romans 8:14, Galatians 5:18).
God leads by His Word (John 12:50).
God leads by Using People.
From Moses, Joshua, Gideon, and David in the Old Testament to His disciples in the New Testament, God uses people to lead, but always with the promise of His presence (Exodus 33:14, Joshua 1:5, Matthew 28:20).
I hope you will take more time to study the where and when of God’s leadership. The bulk of this lesson will focus on the final question of why He leads us specifically, what motivates Him, and what His goals are in the process.
Why does God lead us?
In Deuteronomy 8 God explained many of His motives concerning the leading of the Israelites after their deliverance from Egypt. It seems reasonable to believe He leads us as He does for many of the same reasons.
Deuteronomy 8
DT 8:1Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. 2Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. 4Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.
DT 8:6Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and revering him. 7For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land--a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; 8a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; 9a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.
DT 8:10When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. 11Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. 16He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. 17You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." 18But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.
DT 8:19If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. 20Like the nations the LORD destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the LORD your God.
To humble you (v. 2-3) – it seemed odd to me, at first, that God found it necessary to humble the Israelites in the desert. They had been in slavery for so long that in my mind I thought, surely they were broken and humble. But as I continued to read their story, I saw an ungrateful and prideful people; men and women who would rather return to oppression and mistreatment in a foreign country than experience freedom with the One True God. Though the Israelites cried out to God to set them free from slavery, suddenly the predictability and stability of Egypt seemed more appealing than trusting God. I wonder if our current economic crisis is God’s way of humbling Americans. I wonder how many people are crying out to God during these uncertain times that previously gave Him no thought. The key to developing humility is staying there.
Humility keeps us mindful of our dependence on God. When we forget the Source of our many blessings, we have effectively changed leadership to either ourselves or someone other than God.
To test you (v. 2) – The clarification is significant when he says, “in order to know what was in your heart whether or not you would keep His commands.” Though God knows us better than we know ourselves, He tests us in order to see us “flesh it out.” He wants to see us live out our faith in Him and presents us with opportunities to do just that. It is one thing to say we believe God. It is quite another to live out that truth when many challenges come our way. Testing is a natural part of our high school and college education. We learn the material and then the teacher gives us an exam to test our ability to apply it. God does the same. How well are we doing?
To teach you (v. 2-3) – His methods may seem harsh and even unfair at times, but God knows what He is doing! We balk at the idea of hunger or need serving any useful purpose, but God is clear in this passage that His classroom has everything to do with meeting our needs. We must trust that He will and develop our faith in the process. What area of your life seems difficult right now? Would you allow God to lead you through it as your Teacher?
To discipline you (v. 5) – God wants to have an intimate relationship with you, and that involves discipline. Unfortunately many Christians want only a “Santa Claus” type connection with God in which they ask and He gives unconditionally. We must submit to the changes and challenges God brings in our lives, knowing He always has a purpose and a plan, and trusting in His unchanging goodness. Those of us who have children know how critical discipline is to successful and enjoyable parenting. God seeks those same traits in His relationship with us as well.
To bring you into a good land (v. 7) – Our God longs to give so many wonderful blessings to His children. Even if there are rocky paths along the way, the end result will be more than worth it. If it is His gift, how could it not be the best?
So that in the end it might go well with you (v. 16) – So much does not go well in our lives because we insist on going our own way or following those who lead us astray. When God leads it is for the express purpose of a “happy ending,” the greatest fulfillment of which is eternity with Him! Who are you following?
So that you might know that I am the LORD your God (Deuteronomy 29:6) – Though it is stated differently in Deuteronomy 8, the meaning is clear. God wants us to know Him in all His fullness. He worked in the Israelites’ lives to this end by allowing them to experience need and trusting Him to fill it. He then poured out blessing and challenged them to glorify Him in the midst of it. It truly breaks my heart that the Lord has to remind the Israelites and us so many times, “Remember the LORD your God” (verse 18). How can we forget that He alone is responsible for every skill, talent, gift, opportunity, and blessing? We must never forget Him. Ever!
The ending to the Israelites’ story is a sad one. Everyone 20 years of age and older (with the exception of Joshua and Caleb) was denied entrance to the Promised Land because of their unbelief. God took every precaution with them, but the one thing He would not do is force them to love and trust Him.
How will your story end? Will you trust God to lead you or choose another?
GOD LEADS
Read the following chapters. Write down lessons learned about leadership from each one.
John 10
Hebrews 11
Acts 9
Exodus 19
1 Samuel 18
Ezra 9
Deuteronomy 13
Daniel 12
Exodus 32