Randy Smith - Live Like A Cupbearer, Leadership Lessons From Nehemiah

2021 Randy Smith All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN 978-1-09835-789-4 eBook 978-1-09835-790-0

It is no mystery to anyone with even a small amount of discernment that our country is hurting. We are experiencing chaos and confusion at a level that most people living today have never seen. While those of us who live in the United States have been spared many of the trials found in places around the world, we are now living through a season that seems to give us something new to worry about every day. And so, the question before us is very simple: What do we need most when the world is out of control? The answer? Leadership. Whether you are talking about a home, business, community, or country, the one way to bring peace and direction is through clear and principled leadership. Understanding this truth, Randy Smith has taken the true-life example of one of the Bibles great characters to outline essential leadership lessons needed in difficult times. Over a friendship of twenty years, I have watched Randy apply these principles to military, home, church, and business. This is not a theory to him but rather a distillation of Biblical leadership truths that he has put to the test. This work has been an encouragement to me in my own leadership journey as it will be to anyone who seeks to move forward in these uncertain times.

Jeremy Stalnecker
Pastor, Author, and Executive Director and Cofounder,
The Mighty Oaks Foundation.

Preface

When 2020 began, I had an idea for this bookwell, actually, I had been thinking about and praying about writing this book for quite some time. But 2020 was my year; I was committed, and here we are.

Yet, were in a place where no one ever thought we would belocked down and what will forever be known as practicing social distancing. Whether you agree or disagree with the measures taken by the global leaders, the one thing we can agree on is that 2020 has changed everything all of us had planned. Weddings have gone from guest lists of two hundred people down to three people in a backyard; homeschooling is no longer just an option; birthday parties have now become community drive-bys; and the list could go on forever. No matter where you live, no one is immune. Life has changed and so has this book.

You see, I had this perfect plan. I already had an outline, then COVID-19 came along, and all plans went out the window. Yet, as with most things in life, the good can come from the bad. Perhaps one of the benefits of this unprecedented time in history is the fact that we, as a world, are once again focusing on our true heroesnormal everyday men and women who during a time of prosperity often become forgotten: teachers, fire firefighters, doctors, nursesall manner of public servants. Occupations once seen as mundane jobs have now been deemed essential positions. While they may not have been classified as essential, until 2020, most of us in the world knew these people played an important role in our everyday lives. I cannot tell you how many parents who have been thrust into homeschooling due to school closures now see teachers and public schools through a much different lens.

But something incredible has happened as wellthe average Joe is now being heralded as a hero. Perhaps in no other time in history had the truck driver, grocery store clerk, barista, etc., been called a hero. But they are now, and honestly, they should be seen as such long after COVID-19 is just another page in our history books. We always told our kids, we dont care what you do, as long as you fulfill Gods calling on your life and live within your means. During my fifty-plus years on Earth, I cannot remember a time when the world had recognized the heroes and leaders we have living and walking among us.

This brings me to what I think might be one of the most powerful statements in the Book of Nehemiah , and I would suggest it might be one of the most powerful statements in the entire Bible: Now I was cupbearer to the king. You see, these seven words, I believe, set the stage for the incredible heroic story of Nehemiah and highlight the necessity of the heroes that are helping us survive COVID-19. In 2020 terms, the sentence could be, I was a truck driver delivering food at the grocery store. Or, I was the check-out clerk at the neighborhood retail store. Or, I was the stockroom clerk restocking masks and gloves for the hospitals.

I suggest there is no other time in the world where we needed more Nehemiahs, more cupbearers, and more leaders. And we are already seeing so many of them stepping up. My desire in writing this book is to inspire others to step up, or perhaps merely hold the mirror to see how God is already using you to shape His world, to fulfill His plan. The message of the Scriptures over and over, and as we read through the Bible, is the samewe see God using the most unusual, the normal, the mundane people to fulfill His sovereign plans.

Over the next several chapters, well take a look at the first seven chapters of Nehemiah. I want to highlight some key facts of Nehemiahs life and leadership to show you and all of us that God is not surprised by anything that happens, not even COVID-19. God had a plan with Nehemiah; He had a plan with Jesus, and He has a plan for you. No matter your age, your occupation, your location, your sex, your race, etc. God uses His people to bring about His plans. My prayer is that as we survey the life of Nehemiah, you survey your life and that youre able to see Gods fingerprints and how He is calling you to lead His people during one of the most difficult times in modern history. If you are a follower of Christ, you are a cupbearer. God can use you to bring about His sovereign will. Now I was a cupbearer to the king. Who are you?

Chapter

Planted Cupbearers Grow Where God Plants Them

Most Sunday school graduates will know the name Nehemiah. He was the guy who helped rebuild the fallen walls around Jerusalem. Some readers may even remember the analogy used in the Christian movie Facing the Giants , when the football coach tells his defense, I want you to build me a stone wall. When a Christian thinks about building a wall, they often think about Nehemiah, but being a wall builder is just part of his story.

The name Nehemiah actually means the Lord has comforted, and as we go through his story, its very apparent that God had Nehemiah in the right place at the right time. Nehemiah was living in the city of Susa; most theologians believe he was born outside of Jerusalem. Susa was a city that the Jewish people were sent to when their homeland was taken away. Perhaps you have heard a pastor say, The Children of Israel, The Jewish Nation were part of the Exile. Nehemiahs family must have been sent to Susa when they were kicked out of their home country, and Susa was most likely the birthplace of Nehemiah.

Perhaps youve never heard of the Exile, so lets take a brief detour here to set the table of how Nehemiah found himself in Susa. Around 933 BC, the nation of Israel had split into two main kingdoms: the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom. If you have read any of the Old Testament , you know that from the moment the children of Israel were led out of Egypt, they began complaining. The Israelites were human just like us, and just like us, they didnt always get along, so the nation of Israel split into two separate kingdoms (Northern and Southern).