Fear Not! A Guide to Living a Fearless LifeNäide

Stop, Look, and Listen

“Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. ‘Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials,’ he said. ‘Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you’" (2 Kings 25:24, NIV).

Gedaliah had just been appointed by King Nebuchadnezzar to serve as governor of Judah after most of the men, women, and children were taken captive to Babylon. Gedaliah’s words were probably comforting to those left behind because they faced an uncertain future. By all accounts, it sounds like Gedaliah would have been a good leader if only he had heeded the counsel of those men around him. All his officers warned Gedaliah that Ishmael was coming to kill him, but he did not believe them.

Johanan met with Gedaliah privately and offered to kill Ishmael and fend off this threat. Johanan told him, “Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered and the remnant of Judah to perish?" Gedaliah insisted the stories about Ishmael were not true, and shortly thereafter, he was assassinated by him.

The moral of the story: to be a good leader, you need to not only lead, but also to listen. Whether it’s in your personal life or your professional world, surround yourself with good people and allow them to speak openly and freely to you. Solomon tells us, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22, NIV).

Gedaliah’s situation sounds a bit like the story of the man on the roof. A man was trapped on his rooftop by rising floodwaters. First, a rowboat stopped by and offered him a ride, then a motorboat boat and eventually a helicopter. Each time he replied, “No, God will save me.” Shortly after the last attempt to save him, a wave swept him off the roof, and he drowned. He found himself in heaven, and he asked God why He didn’t save him. God replied, “I sent you two boats and a helicopter! What more did you want?”

If you haven’t noticed, God does not normally do things in a conventional manner. God can use anyone or anything to speak to you. He has even been known to use a donkey before. “Then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?’" (Numbers 22:28, NIV)

When you were a child, you were taught to stop, look, and listen when you came to an intersection. This is good advice even for adults. We need to stop, look, and listen when we come to any major crossroad or junction in life. “Be self-controlled and alert” (1 Peter 5:8, NIV). There really is an enemy out there waiting for someone to devour; just ask Gedaliah.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, I pray I am attentive to that small, still voice You speak to me with. May I always stop, look, and listen for You, being self-controlled and alert. You say Your sheep recognize Your voice. Help me to discern Your voice from that of the enemy. May I also seek wise counsel and have the wisdom to recognize it when I receive it. In Jesus name, amen.