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 1 Kings 19:4, quoting from the NIV:
“While He himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, LORD,’ he said. ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’”
Discouragement. Is there anything worse? Discouragement can suck the life out of momentum and halt forward progress. It has been stated that following victory discouragement and compromise can ensue.
Elijah, God’s messenger to Ahab, experienced a decisive victory over Ahab’s prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel, which you can read about in 1 Kings, but on the heels of victory he found himself far opposite God’s intention.
What could have caused Elijah to move so quickly from God’s will? Fear and discouragement from a well-timed threat made Elijah throw it in reverse and flee for his life. Wandering off in the desert, discouraged and desirous of death, he abandoned his helper and concluded that he was the lone survivor of those interested in the things of God. If mishandled, discouragement can take us off task, produce feelings of aloneness and cloud our judgment.
Can you recall a time when you reacted to a situation from raw, fearful emotion rather than by seeking God’s comfort? Elijah would rather have faced death than the threat of his life being taken. God revealed Himself to Elijah with this question: “What are you doing here?”
Isolation is often the enemy of a courageous response. Not even the strongest earthquake will free us from its grip. 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. God told Elijah to go back the way he came.
Sometimes we can feel that we have had enough. Truthfully, if God has called us to a task, He will be the one to determine when He is done using us. Discouragement will be there despite the truth. Elijah felt alone—but he was not! He did not know the truth of God’s plan. Don’t allow threats or the appearance of being the only one interested in what God is working halt your forward momentum and progress.
// Points 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, recognize that believers can and do experience spiritual highs and lows. Avoid course redirection, especially when God mapped the course.
- Second, pray—ask God’s help in seeing beyond the range of natural thinking, limited perspective, and dulled spiritual insight.
- Third, be open to the possibility that God reveals Himself in unexpected ways and sometimes through a “gentle whisper.”
// About the Narrator
LT Cassandra Mulkey joined the Navy through the Reserve Officers Training Corps at University of Utah in 2012 and served aboard two Navy ships as a Nuclear-trained Surface Warfare Officer. She is currently applying to medical school and hopes to continue in the Navy as a Medical Officer. She currently is stationed at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and lives in Silver Spring, MD with her husband where they are raising two beehives.
// 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.