Following divine detours

Tom Harper

Following divine detoursiStock

All who were in distress, in debt or discontented gathered around him and he became their leader.
—1 Sa 22:2

David was a wanted man with a price on his head. While most upstanding citizens fled his path, many desperate people saw him as their hope. They knew he was trustworthy, but they also related to him because he had no refuge.

David's life had morphed from a nobody to national hero to innocent fugitive. He must've wished he'd never volunteered to fight that giant. Yet God had plucked him from obscurity and placed him in the limelight.

Why would the Lord allow his anointed to run scared just before placing him on the throne?

There was a greater plan at work. David's patience, trust and faithfulness were tested and ultimately rewarded.

Sometimes, on the way to his greater destination, God drops a detour sign in our path.


Excerpted from Servant Leader Strong: Uniting Biblical Wisdom and High-Performance Leadership, by Tom Harper (DeepWater Books, 2019).


Tom Harper is publisher of BiblicalLeadership.com and executive chairman of Networld Media Group, a business-to-business publisher and event producer. He has written five books, including Servant Leader Strong: Uniting Biblical Wisdom and High-Performance Leadership (DeepWater Books, 2019) as well as the Christian business fable Through Colored Glasses and its sequel Inner Threat (DeepWater, 2022).

Learn More »

More on Leadership Development & Discipleship


Don't miss any of this great content! Sign up for our twice-weekly emails:

Free eBook

Success Unlocked: The Transformative Power of Questions

This isn’t just another leadership book—it’s your invitation to discover how Christ-centered questions can transform the way you lead and live. Packed with real stories and timeless wisdom, it shows you how to grow your influence, deepen your faith, and lead with the same life-changing impact Jesus did.

Download Now


Our Writers

Greg's life mission statement focuses on his life passion, which is “to strengthen the great …
Jordan Raynor helps Christians respond to the radical, biblical truth that their work matters for …
Rob Streetman serves the body of Christ as President of two parachurch ministries: inLight Consulting …

Already a member? Sign in below.

  or register now

Forgot your password?

b'S2-NEW'