Left Holding the Bag?

Story: Tired men at the ravine, 1 Samuel 30

David and 600 of his men were in hot pursuit of the raiders who had stolen their women. They had just received word from the Lord, via the mysterious ephod, that they would succeed in the rescue.

Then it happened. When they came to the Besor Ravine, 200 of the men were too exhausted to cross. They could go no further. So they stayed behind to guard the extra supplies while 400 went forward.

Sometimes I stay behind because I’m exhausted, too. Or because my gifts don’t lie in search-and-rescue, or in war-mongering. Or because somebody has to keep the home front running, buy the groceries, take care of the kids.

Upon David’s return to the ravine, along with the 400 warriors and now the women and their goods, David merrily greeted the 200 who had stayed behind.

But the 400 fighting men had a different attitude: “Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered” (v 22).

Yet in a merciful stroke of kindness and unpredictable justice, David instituted a new statute, to be enacted from that moment onward: “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” (v 24).

I love the grace of David in this story. I love that the Lord, too, values ALL the ways his soldiers serve, whether we’re the warriors on the front line doing "big" courageous things, or whether we’re the supply-keepers who stay behind to take care of "little", but equally important, things.

We all share alike in His victory.

--Lisa B.