It’s a classic story of the little guy taking on the big guy and winning (1 Sam 17). Obviously, David was skilled with his sling, having already killed a lion and a bear during the course of his shepherding duties. The giant, Goliath, was a seasoned warrior. Yet, when the rock struck a knock-out blow on Goliath’s forehead, it was not just the little guy taking out the big guy. Even before he had taken a stone out of his bag, David boldly acknowledged that it would be the Lord who would give him victory over Goliath (1 Sam 17:45-47).

Many times, I feel pretty small as I face significant life and ministry challenges. The Goliath-sized challenges are much bigger than me. Yet, my all-powerful God is with me. The worship song, “Our God,” by Chris Tomlin captures this reality:

Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome and power
Our God, Our God...
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome and power
Our God, Our God...
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
What can stand against?

Ready to face the next challenge with this awesome God at your side?

Samuel had anointed David as the next king of Israel (1 Sam. 16:13). The Spirit of the Lord had come upon David in power. Yet, it was not yet God’s time for David to replace Saul as king. David went back to tending his father’s sheep (1 Sam.16:14-23). In the meantime, Saul wanted someone to play the harp in his presence as a way of finding relief from an evil spirit who tormented him. One of Saul’s servants became an advocate for David and recommended him for the harp-playing role. As David entered Saul’s court, he took one more step toward becoming the next king of Israel. Now, he had to wait for God’s timing to take the next step.

I can get impatient as I wait for God to show me the next step. David’s “wait and go” experience helps me to remember that God’s ways and His timing are right; I would do well to wait for Him. 

“Spiritual leadership is moving people unto God’s agenda” (p. 36). In their 2011 expanded revision of Spiritual Leadership, Henry and Richard Blackaby have done a masterful job of calling Christian leaders to refocus on God and His agenda while giving many practical tools for helping them move people according to God’s leading. They have integrated Scripture and contemporary ideas about leadership throughout the book while bringing their ideas to life through many engaging stories. Despite a few underlying assumptions that some readers might find unsettling, the book is a thought-provoking and practical read for both seasoned and emerging leaders alike.

Henry and Richard Blackaby, in their expanded revision of Spiritual Leadership published in 2011, contend that “leadership occurs when you move people from where they are to where they ought to be” as God leads. A strong theme throughout the book is that leaders who want to lead in God-honouring ways must hear from God and obey His voice. Spiritual leadership necessitates an intimacy with God that allows leaders to hear from Him as they make decisions throughout the day. The authors state that “the most crucial objective for any leader is personal growth” (p. 51). A major strength of the book is its strong call to recapture a high view of God’s role in guiding Christian leaders – a role sometimes dominated by human reasoning and leadership best practices.

Spiritual Leadership successfully integrates theological reflection with practical application. It has a robust theoretical foundation built on Scripture and insights from the leadership literature. Yet, the book is also very practical. The authors devote chapters to important leadership topics such as the character of spiritual leaders, how God prepares leaders, making decisions, building teams, getting and communicating vision, and the pitfalls of leadership. As I read the book, I found myself re-examining my own leadership theology and some of my leadership practices. I felt a longing to lead with a deeper form of spiritual leadership. I found myself thinking about how I might lead differently in the future. I suspect that the book would deeply challenge the thinking of most Christian leaders and would give them tools that they can readily use to strengthen their leadership.

The Blackaby’s use many captivating stories to bring concepts to life. Unfortunately, most of the characters in these stories are male. I also noted that the authors often used American presidents as examples, which gave the book a decidedly U.S.-centric feel . At times, they also relied on military heroes to portray their points, which some readers may find distracting.