“And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.” (I Samuel 22:5)
I know I say this a lot, but this truly is one of my favorite passages of scripture! I love to read how David didn’t necessarily welcome the 400 people who swarmed him in his safe place, but he embraced them, comforted them, counseled them, and turned them into his own private army. This passage tells us that “...those who were discontented, in distress, and and in debt” flocked to him for guidance. How like God this is!
Just when we think we have escaped with our own life and are hidden – you know, out of sight, out of mind – God brings all these people to you to minister to. Sheesh, God, give me a minute to catch my breath, right? David was fleeing from King Saul, who wanted desparately to kill him. David found what he considered a safe place, an easily-defensible place, in order to gather his wits about him and figure out how to proceed. Just when he thought he was safe, here come all these men to him – no doubt also wanted by the king for indebtedness, for speaking against the existing government, and who were simply overwhelmed by life. They were fleeing their responsibilities in life, they were not happy with the way things were going in the nation at the time, they were rebelling against the “man”.
I often think back over my life and how God always brought the deliquents into my circle. Those who were unhappy with their lives, those who were drowning in debt, those who were at their wit’s end – God brought them to me! When I was struggling with my own issues, God brought others with THEIR issues! Thanks, God.
Many people come to mind throughout scripture – Moses, Gideon, Jeremiah, Jesus, Paul – just to name a few. None of these were without struggle and pressure – yet God brought others to them in their own time of distress. Moses laid the foundation for the great nation of Israel, Gideon delivered his people from their enemies, Jeremiah (the Weeping Prophet) was destined to prophecy the struggles Israel would endure, but also their deliverance in the end, Jesus trained His twelve disciples to become militant in their faith and turn the world upside down with their teachings, and Paul established churches in between his own prison sentences. Those who are destined to make a difference must needs undergo such pressure.
Think about those in your own circle of friends. Your own life has been hard enough, yet God brought you others to become a mentor to, to organize them, to bring them together as one unit. That is why you and I are always on the phone, always meeting with people, always answering a million questions. God is using us to train up others to become a mighty army for Him! We think it is all about us when God has it planned that it is really about those we can reach for Him.
Today I challenge you to think about those whom God has placed under your umbrella of protection, your prayer list, your ministry, your leadership. You have gone through things I have not, and I have walked paths you will never (Thank God) have to trod. But, each of us has a testimony, each of us has a story to tell, each of us has influence over others. They look up to us – even in our brokenness!
Just like David, this is a sign that you are chosen for greatness in the kingdom. Just like David, you and I could shut our doors and our hearts to those around us in need. Yet those He has given us will one day rise up a mighty army. Not (just) for us, but for the glory and honor of God Himself! Think about Jesus’ twelve disciples. Think about David’s thirty. Think deeper about Jesus’ inner circle of three – just like David’s – and yours! Those nearest you are there because they see what you see. They may not understand it fully, but they embrace your vision and are willing to give their lives to see it through.
That comes back to you and me. We must keep our eyes on Christ, we must listen for His Spirit’s guidance, we must be willing – when the time comes – to stand up and fight for what we believe in. That’s when the whole picture will come clearly into view for us. May we have the eyes of Elisha (in 2 Kings 6:17) to see the angels and ministering flames around us (spoken of in Hebrews). May we have the wisdom of Solomon to lead such a great people. May we have the love of Christ to love them through to victory.
Be blessed.
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