An effective leader has a wide range of skills. Yesterday we looked at a leader’s ability to adjust to a situation at an instant’s notice. Today, we look again at King David as a leader, but today we look at his skill as a long-range planner. Read 1 Chronicles 22:1-19.

David had asked God for the privilege of building the temple in Jerusalem that would house the Ark of the Covenant and serve as a place to represent God’s presence on earth. God said it would not be David’s assignment to build the temple, but his son Solomon would build the temple. David could have been hurt or felt rejected by God’s decision but he accepted this information and considered it part of his leadership assignment to prepare a way for his inexperienced son to be successful.

A leader’s life is filled with unexpected circumstances and situational twists. Any leader that does not consider a plan “B” as they develop and implement plan “A” is lacking leadership experience or, at a minimum leadership wisdom. Situational leadership is not the easy road. It demands the leader’s careful attention to the current situation and an eye to the potential negative or positive changes to that situation in the near and distant future. Read 1 Chronicles 19:1-20:3

David was a well established king in Israel and had peace or at least non-aggression arrangements with most of the neighboring nations. This situation changed with one neighbor when Nahash, king of the Ammonites, died and his son Hanun succeeded him. David read the new situation and quickly sent a delegation to meet with Hanun to insure his intentions for relations with Israel were the same as his fathers.

Leadership is not only a privilege but also a responsibility. In Scripture, leaders are given influence as stewards to manage the resources that are owned by the Lord. When a leader builds into the lives of others and participates in the development of their potential, a leader is acting as a faithful steward of divine responsibility. Read 1 Chronicles 18:14-17.

David understood that he was the steward of human gifts and talents. He gave appropriate responsibility and authority to people of proven commitment and ability.

It takes a lifetime of consistent behavior, made up of small everyday actions, for a leader to be known for their humility. Read 1 Chronicles 17:1-27.

David has been established firmly as king of Israel. He has established Jerusalem as his capitol city. David has built a beautiful palace for himself in Jerusalem. He has moved the Ark of the Covenant, a holy object God instructed Moses to build as His home on earth, from the countryside to Jerusalem.  It is at this time that David realized that he is living in luxury but no temple has ever been built for a home to the Ark of the Covenant. He calls Nathan the prophet and tells him he desires to build a magnificent temple to house the Ark of the Covenant. Nathan considers the idea and tells David to go ahead with the project.

Leaders make decisions every day, and the patterns established in the small decisions shape the course of the larger ones. Decision-making ability differentiates between poor and good, and between good and great, leaders. Read 1 Chronicles 12:1 and 23-38.

Saul, former king of Israel, and his sons were killed in battle and the people of Israel were gathering at Hebron, about to make David king over Israel. Tucked away in the middle of the information concerning the type of men and number of men sent from each of the 12 tribes is verse 32, which describes the delegation from the tribe of Issachar. This verse tells us that the men of Issachar “understood the times and knew what Israel should do.”