“And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in
debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain
over them. And there were about four hundred en with him.”
1 Samuel 22:2
When God put together David’s
first army it consisted of the distressed, the debtors, and the discontented.
They were not the strongest and mightiest of men when they began to be under
him, but with David’s leadership some grew up to be mighty men of God. Jashobeam
“once used his spear to kill eight hundred enemy warriors in a single battle”
(2 Samuel 23:8). Then there was Eleazer who stood with David “against the
Philistines when the entire Israelite army had fled. He killed Philistines
until his hand was too tired to lift his sword, and the Lord gave him a great
victory that day. The rest of the army did not return until it was time to
collect the plunder” (2 Samuel 23:9-10). And let’s not forget Shammah who one
time when the Philistines had “gathered at Lehi and attacked the Israelites in
a field full of lentils. The Israelite army fled, but Shammah held his ground
in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the Lord brought
about a great victory” (2 Samuel 23:11-12). This reminds me of some of us
Christians. When we started out in our walk with Christ we may have had low
self-esteems, were heartbroken and in need of healing deep down in our souls,
bound by so many things, distressed, discontented, unsatisfied and unhappy with
our lives. We may have had worldly idols and put other things before God as we
didn’t know Him yet. But then by His mercy and grace He found us. He made us
His own. He caused us to see ourselves through His eyes and not the world’s. He
healed our broken hearts, He delivered and set us free from so many things. He
made us content, satisfied, and happy with our lives. He gave us a new life, a
new heart, a new start and beginning. Old things had passed away, all things
had become new. We were born again. And then He grew us up and by His leadership He made us mighty
men and women of the faith, all to the glory of Him. He did not leave us where
we started. He loved us enough to transform us from the inside out, giving us
His Holy Spirit to dwell within. We have so much to be grateful for.
Father, we thank You for Your mercy and grace. We thank You
for making us Your own. You did not leave us in the state we were in when we
found You. You gave us Your Holy Spirit and the power of Your love changed us
from the inside out. We give You all the praise for this, all the glory, and
all the honor. You raised up Joshobeam, Eleazer, and Shammah and made them
mighty men of God. Lord, raise us up in the day and age so that we can be
mighty men and women of the faith too. We want to make a difference in this
world and we know that the difference is found in You. May we share Christ with
a lost and dying world. You loved us while we were yet sinners. You love others
while they are yet sinners too. May we not forget this but reach out to them
with Your love. And may the power of Your love be effective and reach them,
transforming their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen.
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