Briefing: When a leader is secure in his/her faith, it shows. You can see it in who they are and how they lead.

Dispatch (Assignment): Read Psalm 110.

On the Street: Being a leader and a Christian does not always mesh into a good Christian leader. I have known Christians who got leadership positions only to fall into pride and arrogance. I have seen Christian leaders get so overwhelmed by their position that they lose focus on God. They forget who to turn to when the worries of life start choking them.

This goes without saying but I’m going to say it anyway. Being a leader does not mean you are a supervisor. The best leaders of agencies are sometimes the street cop, the deputy, the detective or investigator. The best leader in a department may not be the captain or chief, it may be a sergeant or lieutenant.

There is another point about Christian leadership that needs to be made. People without the Holy Spirit don’t always recognize Christian characteristics as being reflective of Christ. If they don’t know Christ, how would they know your life reflects His? If you are a Christian leader and you are not getting the response you were expecting from those you lead, do not be discouraged. Just keep being salt and light, continue sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, and remain faithful in living a life of example.

A leader who submits to the authority of God is a leader who understands true authority. Verse 1 says, “The LORD says to my lord”. The first line is important to understand because it sets the tone for comprehending the rest of psalm. The lower case lord is the leader or ruler. The upper case LORD is God.

The leader who truly knows and follows the Word of God is a true leader. God blesses this kind of leader as we see here. Verses 1-2 lays out a principle for the leader who understands this. The source of the king’s authority is God. This precept is repeated in Romans 13:1, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” When a leader understands this, it should change their whole perspective on leadership. This brings to light the fact that you are answerable to God for the way you lead and all of the places and actions you lead people to. Your expectations, your assignments, your discipline, the behaviors you tolerated and allowed to go unpunished, and your example will all have to be accounted for.

Verse 3, “Your troops will be willing on your day of battle”, reminds me of Proverbs 29:2, “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” If you are a leader you must ask yourself, how is the morale? Are the troops willing to carry out my orders or is there groaning in the department?

There is great encouragement in verses 5-7. It tells us God gives authority to the king to rule as long as the king is obedient to God’s law and is carrying out justice. God will even allow the king to overcome his enemies as long as his rule lines up with God’s desires.

Our leaders, from small group leaders, up through the chain of command to the top, must realize the authority they have to govern is by God’s authorization. This is an awesome responsibility and calls for obedience to moral law and justice. The Christian leader must be a strong Christian first and a leader second. The leadership assignment must be completely submissive to the Christian calling.

Investigational Resources: Psalm 2. For more on Melchizedek, see Genesis 14:18-20.

Officer Safety Principle: A leader who truly knows and follows the Word of God is a true leader.

from Psalms Through the Eyes of a Cop, Volume 2
©by Charles Gilliland. Used by permission.
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