Empowered Leadership: A Divine Call to Remember and Trust

Empowered Leadership: A Divine Call to Remember and Trust

"I assessed the situation, then I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people:

'Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome,

aand fight for your families, your sons and your daughters,

your wives and your homes.'"

Nehemiah 4:14

"Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there.

Our God will fight for us!"

Nehemiah 4:20

Leading means facing great battles; it is a calling to lead those whom God has called and made His soldiers to fight against the enemy's forces (Eph. 6:12). In building the walls of Jerusalem, the great leader Nehemiah never stopped considering his dependence on and acknowledgment of the great and awesome God (Nehemiah 4:12). His words of encouragement to the people were based not only on his leadership skills, but on the great and awesome God.

When Nehemiah called the people to remember the great and awesome God, he surely had in mind bringing to their remembrance all that God had already done for them. "I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds" Psalm 77:11-12.

God's Word is an inexhaustible well of wise counsel for the leadership journey. It is not uncommon for us to forget our complete dependence on God and act as though we are operating only on the basis of our limited wisdom. When we do that, we easily fall into discouragement and even the desire to give up. So let us draw out two principles that will encourage us, never forgetting to remember what God has already done for us on our leadership journey: First, remember the Lord who is great and awesome! And second, our God will fight for us!