Wednesday 11th October
Leadership Finale
Leadership transitions can be quite difficult and sensitive for any church or ministry, especially when they involve a long-time leader. That’s what we are seeing in this passage: Samuel is handing the baton to Saul.
Perhaps the first thing we notice here is Samuel’s sense of vulnerability. This may have been a new feeling for him. Leading Israel has been his life’s work but now he knows it’s all done (v2). And perhaps this explains the first part of his farewell message in v 3. Here he bluntly challenges the people to affirm his integrity. Even the strongest leaders require validation when they step down.
It can’t have been easy for Samuel to stand back and let Saul take centre stage, but he didn’t intend to leave any nasty stones unturned. So it was important to him that the people should publicly acknowledge his honesty and integrity. His personal credibility would be even more important when it came to appointing the next king, David, as this first anointing was to prove unsuccessful
Time to reflect…
Have you ever had to make way for someone younger, more qualified perhaps, more able to do the job you’ve been doing for a long time? How did you feel? How did you rate your own honesty and integrity? And how do you rate these now in the role God has given you? Would it stand up to public scrutiny?
Pause to pray…
Father, when we face changes in our lives, teach us to be faithful to you
Amen
