Today’s Verse: And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, and slew them, and had the name among three. ~2 Samuel 23:18 Of the many things said about David, the listing of the mighty men that he had is an inspiration to our faith. There are precious insights from the lives of Benaiah, Eleazar, Asahel, and Shammah. This morning, we want to look at the life of a man named Abishai and see how he i

Today’s Verse: For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes: ~Acts 24:5 All of us like it when good things are said about us and to us. However, it pays sometimes to know what your critics have to say about you. Much of a what a critic has to say about us has a negative bias and innuendo. Since we tend to dislike criticism, we might overlook things that truthfully

Today’s Verse: And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it. ~Colossians 4:17 When I have the opportunity to preach in another church, I am blessed to meet the members of the other congregation. It is a blessing to meet people who have been in their church for many years. It is a blessing to hear when these faithful members have accepted greater responsibilities in serving the Lord. In our devotion, we see an indivi

Today’s Verse: And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men. ~1 Samuel 22:2 John Quincy Adams said, "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." David was that kind of leader. David inspired men to achieve greater potential through his influence. He

Today’s Verse: Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon: ~Daniel 2:14 Our faith and leadership is forged in the fires of crisis, difficulties, and disasters. It is during these moments that what is really inside of us comes out. Nebuchadnezzar issued a death sentence against all of the wise men of his kingdom for failing to interpret a dream that he had but could not remember.

Today’s Verse: Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us. ~1 Samuel 7:12 Samuel was one of the greatest and most beloved of the Old Testament men of God. In Psalm 99:6, he is mentioned alongside of Moses and Aaron, specifically, as one of them that called on the Lord’s name and the Lord answered them. Jeremiah 15:1 mentions Samuel as having influence like Moses in being able to st

Today’s Verse: And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it. ~Colossians 4:17 Warren Bennis was considered one of the foremost experts on leadership. He made a powerful statement that differentiates a leader from a manager: “Managers do things right; leaders do the right things.” Doing the right things includes getting things done. It does not matter how grand a plan you have, how great your product or service is, o

Today’s Verse: For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord. ~Acts 11:24 The phrase “good man” is used thirteen times in the Bible. There are only two men who were specifically described by others as “a good man”: Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, and Barnabas. A good man has God’s favor on his life (Proverbs 12:2). A good man is selfless (Proverbs 14:14). Good men are a scarcity (Micah 7:2). A good man’s steps are ordered b

Today’s Verse: And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not. ~1 Samuel 14:45 Have you ever been the victim of another person’s failures or bad judgment? If this has happened, you know that it can set you back for a long time. In almost any setting,

Today’s Verse: For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; ~Titus 1:7 A leader is someone who has been entrusted with the responsibility of directing, guiding, and influencing other people in an organization, mission, responsibility, or direction. A spiritual leader must be godly, trustworthy, and transparent. He is someone who carries a large burden on his shoulder in his lea

Today’s Verse: And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. ~Exodus 2:17 A leader is someone who has influence. He is someone that people trust and follow. He is someone whose ideas or convictions are very compelling to others. He should be someone who is respected, transparent, trustworthy, and diligent. A title and role does not necessarily mean a person is a leader. Leadership must be earned, developed, and always

Today’s Verse: Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ~Acts 15:26 As we are in the summer season, it is also fire season. In forests, campgrounds, or areas where there is very dry vegetation, there are signs put up to indicate the degree of fire danger. The brighter the color, the greater the possibility of a fire hazard. The word “hazard” indicates a potential risk or a possible peril. The Bible speaks of Judas and Silas as being men who ha

Today’s Verse: And the watchman told, saying, He came even unto them, and cometh not again: and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously. ~2 Kings 9:20 Everyone who drives an automobile has been taught to be alert, careful, obedient to the safety laws, and vigilant. Reckless drivers have a total disregard for the laws and safety of other people. One statistic that I recently read indicated that 56% of all deadly vehicle crashes invol

Today’s Verse: So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. ~1 Kings 19:19 Among the many topics the Bible addresses, one of the important ones is leadership succession. Leadership succession is when the leader of a ministry carefully selects and develops his eventual replacement. Leadership succession is critical for making sure

Today’s Verse: And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. ~2 Kings 2:6 The success in a relay race lies in the passing of the baton. The four racers for a team are strategically placed in their respective order for speed and to have the competitive edge. The one component of the race that is the difference between winning and losi

Today’s Verse: There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going: A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any; A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up. ~Proverbs 30:29-31 What do your traits say about you? A trait is an attribute or characteristic. It is something about you that defines and identifies you. Solomon uses some familiar animal analogies to describe people who are champions. These trait

Today’s Verse: The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute. ~Proverbs 12:24 I have read many books on the subject of leadership. Each book brings a perspective on leadership from someone who has expertly led others and organizations. Each book has one or more valuable take-aways that have helped me in understanding and executing my role as a leader. The Book of Proverbs has many great traits about leadership that we must give heed to. One

Today’s Verse: When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. ~Nehemiah 2:10 One of my favorite Bible characters is Nehemiah. He is one of the great Biblical and historical inspirations of faith. In the face of very difficult odds, he volunteered to take on the task in leading the people of Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls that had laid brok

Today’s Verse: Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. ~Genesis 49:16-17 Richard M. Nixon was the 37th President of the United States. During his two terms, he championed several accomplishments that gave him a feared respect among global leaders. Sadly, he resigned from the office of President due to the Watergate scandal. This scan