At one point in their history, God was so upset with the people of Israel that he brought radical punishment in order to bring them back to Himself. What was this radical punishment? God was going to take away the most essential elements of life – food, water, and leadership.
“See now, the Lord Almighty is about to take from Jersualem and Judah both supply and support: all supplies of food and all supplies of water, the hero and warrior, the judge and prophet, the soothsayer and elder, the captain of fifty and man of rank, the counselor, skilled craftsman and clever enchanter.” Isaiah 3:1-3
Shocking, huh?!
People want to be well fed and well led. Without effective leadership chaos ensues, people are oppressed, conflict and corruption emerge (see Isaiah 3:4-5).
Of course, we can all list examples of times when we experienced the abuses of poor or even ungodly leadership, but have you ever experienced God-inspiring leadership? What made this leader so special and effective?
If God’s punishment includes the removal of leadership, it seems to me that we can say God’s blessing means the installation of effective leadership.
Where can we step up to lead and bring blessing to others needing and wanting (perhaps even praying) for someone to follow?
Finally, of the types of leaders listed in Isaiah 3, which type of leader is most common in our churches or in the business world?
