The One Thing a Leader Must Know

At the center of a spiritual leader's competencies is an unshakable belief that God is sovereign.

Even (or maybe especially) in the midst of difficult or even tragic situations, a leader knows that God is in control and will work for the good.

"As the princess opened [the basket that she found in the river], she found the baby boy. His helpless cries touched her heart."

- Exodus 2:6, NLT

Exodus 1 recounts the terrible suffering in Egypt of the Israelites, God's chosen people. They were being worked to death as slaves by brutal, ruthless slave drivers and their newborn baby boys were being killed. When all seemed hopeless, Moses entered the scene and we see God's sovereignty at work. Through a series of dramatic, made-for-TV situations and circumstances, God used Moses to save his people. You probably know the rest of the story (if you don't, buckle up and read Exodus).

God had a plan for his people through all of their trials and tribulations. There's no way they could have seen or understood it in the midst of their tremendous sufferings. But God was at work; He had a plan. He even used the daughter of the one who was inflicting the pain to bring about his purposes.

Faith is based upon the understanding that God is in control over all his creation, including every circumstance in which you as a Christ-follower find yourself. Today, if you are conflicted or hurting or confused, know that God is indeed sovereign. Rather than looking at the circumstances, keep your eyes on Christ. Ask what God is doing in the midst of this. What does God want me to learn through this? How is he at work behind the scenes? Who might he send to help walk me through this? Read Philippians 4 today.

God is sovereign. He really is!