53. He Will Be With You
Leader, Draw Near
Do you sense God calling you out, asking you to do something that is outside your comfort zone? What is your source of strength?
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52. Rest Interrupted
Leader, Draw Near
Interruptions can be opportunities to demonstrate compassion. Jesus’ compassion included serving the crowd a meal. How we respond when our plans get changed can add to or take away from our resilience.
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51. Where Now is the Lord?
Leader, Draw Near
When circumstances turn from desirable to undesirable or when the task ahead is greater than one’s resources, it is common to want to know our importance to God and whether He is with us in our labors.
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50. Discouragement—I Have Had Enough!
Leader, Draw Near
Discouragement can place us at opposite ends of God’s intention requiring Him to correct us, turn us around, and put us back on His course. Don’t allow threats or the appearance of being the only one interested in what God is working halt your forward momentum and progress.
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49. Character of a Leader—Holy?
Leader, Draw Near
Take a minute and evaluate the presence of the fruit of the Spirit in your life. Which fruit is most abundant in your life right now? After reflecting on the abundance, think on the fruit you sense needs to be growing in you.
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48. Daniel’s Wise Alternative
Leader, Draw Near
Discerning wisdom is not an overnight process. Spiritual wisdom accompanies the practice of spiritual disciplines, particularly when prayer and Bible study are hallmarks.
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47. The Right Heart
Leader, Draw Near
What is the condition of your heart? Being an effective leader is as much about having the right heart as following proven leadership practices.
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46. Transformation: Clean the Root and Reinsert It
Leader, Draw Near
How do we overcome the dueling natures, the struggle of the flesh to do evil and of the mind that knows to obey the commands of God? We clear away the debris and cultivate in our heart the mind of Christ.
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45. Did You Ask?
Leader, Draw Near
From whom do you seek advice and in whom do you place your trust when it seems you are not receiving discernable direction from God? Asking counsel of wise people is a Scriptural response, and so is asking God to keep you from presumption.
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44. Compassion
Leader, Draw Near
What might cause you to be stingy with empathy or sympathy? Are you tempted to make your compassion for others conditional? Let us strive to find the right blend of Christ-filled compassion and Spirit-guided correction.
info_outlineToday’s Scripture reading comes from Mark 4:35, quoting from the NASB:
“On that day, when evening came, He said to them, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’”
Jesus and the disciples set out on what seemed to have been a normal day. The weather must have been agreeable for a boat ride across the lake, when suddenly, while Jesus was “in the stern asleep on the cushion,” they found themselves in the midst of a storm. Had the experienced fishermen-turned-disciples known a storm was coming, surely, they would have opted out of the boat ride to cross the lake.
I once had a boss whose common saying was: Don’t associate yourself with a disaster. Following that kind of leadership advice, the experienced fishermen would perhaps have never gotten in the boat. However, Jesus was not caught off guard by the storm and undoubtedly designed the lesson that would follow.
This experience would teach the disciples and serve to re-emphasize to us that we need not fear when the unexpected arises. God controls the wind and the rain. Though the disciples were fearful and helpless, they knew to whom to turn in the midst of sudden fear and apparent disaster. Jesus wants us to have faith, trusting that He is with us. Absent His physical presence, we can still rest in Christ’s full knowledge of each prevailing circumstance. Jesus walked across the water and joined them in the midst of their trial and reassured them.
Going “over to the other side” is a poignant metaphor for living by faith. Jesus asked His disciples, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” He Himself had said, “Let us go to the other side.” Reasonably, He had every intention of arriving fully intact at the destination to which He had said, “Let us go.” God cannot doubt Himself and those who travel with Him are asked not to doubt, as well. Leaders appreciate it when followers have confidence in their word. Jesus expects no less of His followers. Choose a faith walk that relies on Christ’s reliability.
// Point to Ponder
Over the next week, here are 3 points to ponder during your personal time of reflection or with a small group or mentor.
- First, do not deny in a crisis what you know to be true about God’s reliability.
- Second, God’s silence should not be misconstrued as unconcern.
- Third, when decisions and actions prove difficult and fear invades, do not falter in the face of the untenable. Rather, approach each trial with immovable faith.
// About the Narrator
Dean Lee retired from the US Coast Guard in 2016 after serving 36 years on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf Coasts. He now works in prison ministry, focusing almost exclusively on heroin addicts in Richmond, VA. Vice Admiral Lee is a senior fellow at the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, VA, and also is a motivational speaker for government and private industry.
// Purchase a Copy
Call the OCF Home Office at 800-424-1984 to purchase a paperback copy of the book, or buy a Kindle version at Amazon.