Who God Sends You When You’re Down
David has descended into a lonely and discomforting place. He runs from Saul and ends up acting mad in the presence of his enemies. He’s got nothing and no one. And yet in the very next scene we see who God sends David when David is down.
1 Samuel 22:2 (ESV) And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.
You want to know how to make a difference in the world? Be willing to love the people who need it. How often we fall for the lie that those who are already adored by millions need our love as well. How often we see the failures of celebrity culture in both the world and the church. How often we spend the bulk of our love on those who will reject it because they don’t believe they need it.
David gets the people Saul rejected. The distressed, the debtors and the bitter in soul. These are his “army.” But they will not remain downcast. God is about to turn this rag tag bunch into the powerful team around David which will subdue his enemies on every side.
The largest portion of this chapter describes Saul’s wickedness in great detail. We see just how evil Saul becomes as he wipes out the entire city of priests for Ahimelech’s assistance of David in the last chapter. But there’s one son of the priestly family who escapes. And David gets him too!
1 Samuel 22:20 (ESV) But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.
David gets the people that need his protection and love.
You know what else David gets in this passage? He gets a renewed mission! He is a natural protector of the weak and vulnerable. So God sends him some of those. By the end of the chapter David is vowing protection for people who have nowhere else to go.
1 Samuel 22:23 (ESV) Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.”
This moment reminds us that God will use our down moments even when we’ve been complicit in making them happen. Even when we have contributed to our decent God will give us a use in that trouble so that we will find our way out of it through purpose and meaning. David now has what he naturally loves - a people to protect. And he will do more than protect them, he will empower them and they will become his mighty men.
You want to be different? Love those who need it. The world has plenty of sycophants, adoring fans and unreal worshipers of the popular people of the age. Look for those people who no one notices. There may be a mighty man ready for God’s resurrection that you will only meet when all the “cool” people have been taken out of your view. Love them and see what God will do.
1 Samuel 22:2 (ESV) And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.
You want to know how to make a difference in the world? Be willing to love the people who need it. How often we fall for the lie that those who are already adored by millions need our love as well. How often we see the failures of celebrity culture in both the world and the church. How often we spend the bulk of our love on those who will reject it because they don’t believe they need it.
David gets the people Saul rejected. The distressed, the debtors and the bitter in soul. These are his “army.” But they will not remain downcast. God is about to turn this rag tag bunch into the powerful team around David which will subdue his enemies on every side.
The largest portion of this chapter describes Saul’s wickedness in great detail. We see just how evil Saul becomes as he wipes out the entire city of priests for Ahimelech’s assistance of David in the last chapter. But there’s one son of the priestly family who escapes. And David gets him too!
1 Samuel 22:20 (ESV) But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.
David gets the people that need his protection and love.
You know what else David gets in this passage? He gets a renewed mission! He is a natural protector of the weak and vulnerable. So God sends him some of those. By the end of the chapter David is vowing protection for people who have nowhere else to go.
1 Samuel 22:23 (ESV) Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.”
This moment reminds us that God will use our down moments even when we’ve been complicit in making them happen. Even when we have contributed to our decent God will give us a use in that trouble so that we will find our way out of it through purpose and meaning. David now has what he naturally loves - a people to protect. And he will do more than protect them, he will empower them and they will become his mighty men.
You want to be different? Love those who need it. The world has plenty of sycophants, adoring fans and unreal worshipers of the popular people of the age. Look for those people who no one notices. There may be a mighty man ready for God’s resurrection that you will only meet when all the “cool” people have been taken out of your view. Love them and see what God will do.
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