Authentic strength and counter-intuitive grace…..

So back to David and his journey. Which today finds him bringing up the rear of the Philistine army which is gathering to fight the Israelites. In turn for Achish’s refuge and protection, David and his men have had to agree to accompany Achish into battle against their own people.

But the rest of the Philistines don’t like it at all.

“Send the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn against us during the fighting. How better could he regain his master’s favor than by taking the heads of our own men? Isn’t this the David they sang about in their dances:

“‘Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands’?”  1 Samuel 29:4-5

You can understand why.

David doesn’t understand but Achish will do what his superiors have commanded.

So David and his men got up early in the morning to go back to the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines went up to Jezreel.  1 Samuel 29:11

When David and his men return to Ziklag, they find that the Amalekites have taken advantage of the absence of fighting men and have raided the city. They have captured the women and children and destroyed Ziklag by fire. The distraught men look for someone to blame – who else but David of course?

David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.  1 Samuel 30:6

But David found strength in the Lord his God.

What a great line…..

Simon was blamed at work for something he did not do…

But Simon found strength in the Lord his God.

Ann was struggling with her husband’s mood swings…

But Ann found strength in the Lord her God.

Lisa was waiting for the results of important blood tests…

But Lisa found strength in the Lord her God.

Derek had no idea how to handle his moody teenage daughter….

But Derek found strength in the Lord his God.

You see what I’m saying….whatever stresses we are facing, whatever anxieties are threatening to drown us, whatever attacks are coming our way, whatever we are feeling and thinking, we can find strength in the Lord our God. God is always there with us every step of the way.

Some days I have had absolutely no idea how I am going to get through the day and I have clung onto this line – ‘By the grace of God we will carry on’ – and I have found the strength and grace to get through another day.

This song has always helped too – ‘Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord’.

Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”

“Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”  1 Samuel 30:7-8

Turn to God. Talk to Him. Spill. Tell Him everything. Ask Him what to do. Recognise his guidance. Respond to His advice.

David and the six hundred men with him came to the Besor Valley, where some stayed behind. Two hundred of them were too exhausted to cross the valley, but David and the other four hundred continued the pursuit.  1 Samuel 30:9-10

This is interesting too. Because only 400 men go into battle with David. The other 200 are too exhausted. I wonder how that conversation went. I wonder what was going through the minds of the 400 that carried on. I wonder how guilty the other 200 felt. Because how difficult do we find it to stop? Even if we are exhausted, do we still find it impossible to say no? How hard is it to live within our limitations – and not feel guilty about it? Not feel weak and pathetic when we take a break? How often do we continue through pride and stubbornness when we are actually endangering our health?

I read a good article recently about learning to say no. Practicing saying no in the small things so that it becomes easier to say no in the big things. Because sometimes we have to. Sometimes it is the best thing to do.

David and his men come across an Egyptian slave who leads them down amongst the celebrating Amalekites and they bring back everything and everyone – everything and everyone!

And when they returned to the weary 200, here’s how the conversation went –

But all the evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, “Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go.”

David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.”  1 Samuel 30:22-24

It’s human nature, isn’t it? They didn’t help. They don’t deserve any of this. People today feel that about taxes – why should I work hard to support those who refuse to work? We find it hard to share with those who have not pulled their weight.

We seem to be hardwired to believe that everyone should get what they deserve. We feel aggrieved if someone gets something they do not deserve. We feel outraged if we do not get given exactly what we deserve.

That’s why grace is so counter intuitive. Grace is getting something we don’t deserve. Grace is giving something to someone who does not deserve it.

Grace is God’s way.

David knows that. He knows that their victory is not really theirs, but God’s.

He knows that the plunder is not really theirs, but God’s.

‘Everything I have is yours and of your own do I give you.’

THEREFORE ‘all will share alike.’

Sharing is a great lesson for all of us.

We like to teach it to our children and then tend to grow out of it as adults.

We forget how to share.

David also sent a share of the recovered plunder to the leaders of every place he and his men had ever roamed.

That’s a lot of places.

For me, this passage about a battle has been all about where our strength really lies and understanding and kindness and respect for authority and obedience and sharing and generosity.

That’s because all of those things can be found in the most unlikely of places.

These are the things that really matter.

Let’s take these lessons into the most unlikely of places today.