Leaning and Leading
II Chronicles 20:3
“And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah".
Leaning and Leading
“Lord lead me as I lead my family ““Lord Lead me as I lead the people”,These are wonderful prayers for Godly people in leadership positions to pray. Godly leadership cannot be accomplished without God. Therefore let us join in with the psalmist and pray: “Show me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths, lead me in thy truth, and teach me. (Psalm 25:4-5) If a person is going to lead in a way that glorifies God, one must acknowledge him in all of their ways. (Proverbs 3:6)
The most effective leaders are the ones who seek the Lord by way of scripture and prayer. Our society is in desperate need of leaders that are devoted to leaning on the Lord for leadership and guidance.
We stand in need of leaders that not only call upon people to pray, but leaders that will lead the people in prayer. In the days of King Jehoshaphat multiple nations united as one to annihilate and destroy the children of Israel from the face of the earth. When the King received word concerning the plan of the enemy, he became fearful and afraid. Similar to King Jehoshaphat, fear also arises in us when receiving unfavorable news that threatens our well being. No one wants to receive news that multiple nations have come together as one to destroy them. Instead of allowing fear to govern and rule him, Jehoshaphat set himself to seek the Lord.
During perilous and pandemic times people often look to their leaders for strength and comfort. When all of Israel turned their attention to Jehoshaphat in tumultuous times, he turned to God for strength and comfort. Committing to seeking the Lord in the face of trouble glorifies God. It’s imperative that we note before the King addresses the people concerning this great crisis in the land, he first seeks the Lord.
One of the major responsibilities of a King is to protect the Kingdom and those under his rule. Jehoshaphat was clearly aware of his role and responsibility to protect the people , and he was also convinced that he needed great help. God is a great God who is able to help us in great trouble. II Chronicles 20:3 gives us a beautiful picture of Godly leadership in the midst of pandemonium. This beautiful picture does not present Jehoshaphat standing tall in the presence of crisis, but rather leaning hard in the presence of God. If I could give Jehoshaphat a nickname, I would name him, “The Leaning Leader.” The lesson concerning leadership we learn from Jeshophat is this; the more we lean on God the better equipped we will be to lead. Leaning on God is the key to God honoring leadership. Sometimes life has a way of presenting us with heavy burdens that we cannot lift on our own.
The unbearable weight of heavy burdens causes us not to be able to stand. In those moments we feel as if we cannot stand. The best thing to do is to lean on the Lord. Strength will rise when we lean on the Lord. King Jehoshaphat did not lean on his own understanding, nor did he give into his fear, but he leaned on the Lord. It’s God’s will for godly leaders to lean on him. Before Jehoshaphat proclaimed a fast throughout all Judea, he first committed himself to seek the Lord. Leading and guiding people is a serious task that should not be taken lightly. Every leader needs to be led, and the best leader to be led by is God.