The cost of leadership

Written by,

Robert Johnson

1 Samuel chapter 30

While reading one of my favorite text last night, King David reminded me that all in the kingdom belongs to God- we are to simply give as God has said then let it go. The story of David in 1 Samuel 30 has much valuable leadership teaching. “The cost of leadership!”

Let’s discover through reading

Galatians 6:9, KJV “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

The cost of elevation – I will bold the points of elevation

1 Samuel chapter 30

1 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

When God sends you back in the direction from which you came, the enemy is waiting

2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way – The enemy wants what’s most valuable to you – with most leaders it’s ministry –

3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives – satan is only allowed so much leverage the city was burnt, but not their families

4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep – Yes man or women of God there are something’s that will take away from you all you have – you can’t shout, sing, praise it’s as though life have been sucked out of you!

5 And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite – please consider, the leaders lost just as much as the people. David cried with them – sometimes it just don’t matter!

6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

No matter how much of a great leader you are, how you can teach or preach when the people are grieved, look out – “The cost of leadership!”

7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

In times of despair, don’t react to the people just begin to call on God – only God knows how and what the people need!

8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all –

At times we allow our emotions to take control, I love David’s response to this situation – he graded his heart an went immediately enquired of the Lord – he went to God not the people! “The cost of leadership!”

9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.

10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor – when you go in the name of the Lord, less is more

11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;

God will always provide for the return – the word of God is a road map to victory, if you use it!

12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.

13 And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.

14 We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.

15 And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.

16 And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.

18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.

In Closing, you will recover all and want loose anything – David was a man after God’s own heart – Thus David must have a Jesus like experience – Jesus is the first to recover all, David is the physical understanding of redemption – David did not only return everything to those that went with him, all those who were not strong enough to go received theirs back as well –

John 17:12 – Jesus testimony – He came to redeem everyone just not a few!

While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.”

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