The Power of One

Sheba had gone against David and lead the men of Israel astray.  Hundreds had desserted David because of this one man.

2 Samuel 20.1-26

Reference:  v. 21 "A man named Sheba son of Bicri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David.  Hand over this one man, and I'll withdraw from the city."

Explore:  David was finally getting his troops together and heading back to Jerusalem but then Sheba came along and divided his troops yet again.  One person can have a huge impact on many people.  In this passage it only took one person to divide an entire army.  Sure enough there were divisions and arguments already starting to happen.  But generally there is one strong leader needed to really make the division complete.

Application:  Imagine if Sheba was able to use his leadership and influence for unity instead of division.  He probably wouldn't have ended up without his head!  So often, as leaders, we try to do things all on our own and create our own empire.  However, we can still be a leader and work alongside others to build a better world, instead of just building a better world-about-me.  It takes more time and a lot more communication but if we are willing to work with other leaders we will find that together we can have a much greater impact.

Prayer:  Lord, so often I just want to go it alone.  Help me to keep others in mind and look towards the greater good.  Amen.

2 Samuel