As David and his mighty men pursued the Amalekites in I Samuel 30 several important things occurred that should give us pause even in our generation. (This is a continuation of a post from yesterday entitled, "Get Up Off Your Ashes".)
The first interesting thing is that as they came by a certain brook, Besor some 200 of David's men gave up. They just quit, they couldn't go on any further in the pursuit. So they remained at the brook as the remainder continued the pursuit. I'm going to leave them there until a little later.
However, even though they are diminished significantly in number they continued the pursuit. In my mind's eye I can see a two great clouds of dust; one formed by the pursued and the other by the pursuer. The Amalekites by now surely know that David is after them. The well honed horsemen of David rode like jackals, their passion fired by the fury of their loss as the kidnappers lumbered along weighted down by the added baggage of the women and children they had kidnapped, not to mention the loot they had stolen.
Along the way, an Egyptian slave of the Amalekite leader fell ill. He was not able to keep up because of his weakened state. His master simply discarded him, cast him off to the side because he was now not only of no use or value to him, but because of his weakness he had become a liability. That's what the enemy does you know. He kidnaps people, uses them up, and throws them away. Sometimes he lures them by promises of great fame or wealth or power.................whatever, he tempts them to serve him with good promises but never keeps the promise and eventually they end up where this man did; abandoned, sick, and dying.
You know when you go to McDonalds to order a cheeseburger it usually comes in a brightly colored box or a sheet of yellow paper. As many times as I have observed people walk away from the McDonald's counter, I have yet to hear anyone ohh and ahh over that sheet of yellow paper or that box. I have never heard anyone even comment on the beauty of that wrapping, or state how "its what they have always wanted." What they want is what is inside. I have never seen anyone transfixed in a candy store over the bright orange paper that wraps up a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. No one ever drools over that little brown cardboard piece in the bottom of the wrapper. Nope, whether its a cheeseburger or a candy bar - no one is interested in the wrapping. We rip it off and throw it away - because what we want is on the inside.
Its the same with the devil. He wants what he's always wanted. Man was created in the image of God. He was created with the capacity to worship and to give glory. From the beginning that is all Satan ever wanted. He wants what is on the inside. He wants to receive from a man what belongs to God, what God has deposited within us. So he lies, and he deceives, he steals, and destroys. He sucks the life out of a man; uses him up, and then, just like the wrapper off of a candy bar - throws him away. The devil does not now, nor has he ever wanted you - he wants what you have, he wants what you can give......and as soon as he gets it - he throws the person away like a piece of garbage. If you don't believe me take a walk downtown some time. It doesn't have to be my town - do it in your town. You will see men and women of all ages who once brimmed with the light of life, but now - all that life has been sucked out and all that is left is an empty wrapper. Look in their eyes, you'll see what I'm talking about.
This is the scene we find as David's horsemen thunder down the road..............a broken, used up man, lying in a ditch. But then, we see something remarkable once again about David. He throws up his hand and brings the entire steamroller to an abrupt halt. He gets down off his horse and calls for wine and bread to be brought. I am sure his men looked at him as if he had taken leave of his senses. They can see the cloud of dust from the enemy just ahead. "Come on David, they're getting away. We don't have time to stop."
But stop David did, and minister to this one broken man David did, as his impatient warriors figgited on their horses. Something remarkable happens in that moment as the man is explaining to David what has happened. He says to David, "If you will spare my life I will show you how to find the enemy." In other words, he knew the enemy's plans, he knew where he was going next, he knew where his camp was.
Two important lessons are learned here:
Lesson #1: God uses what the Devil throws away. We tend to want people to show up altogether and ready to be useful. The enemy said to himself, "I have no longer any use for this guy. I've gotten everything out of him I want." However, what the enemy no longer found useful, God chose to use. In that moment a man who was all used up, drained of life, valueless to all who were around him, became the most valuable man in the troop.
Lesson #2: Ministry is accomplished one need at a time. We tend to look at ministry through "nickels and noses." We want the big crowds, the big offerings, the television opportunities. We want to target population centers and moments of opportunity. In doing so, we pass by need after need, broken men and women all around us, opportunity after opportunity; proverbially not able to see the forest for the trees. I dare say that many of us shun opportunities to minister to need everyday because we are too busy looking for the "big ministry opportunity." Stop for the castaway in the ditch - he may just know where the enemy's camp is. Minister to the one that you just know you're not going to get a return on - that just may be your ticket into the enemy's tent.
David, with the help of this Egyptian slave did find the enemy and he did recover everything that had been taken. As they were riding back toward Brook Besor, the men were talking among themselves. "We should not share the booty with the other men who stopped and didn't help. They didn't do their part, so we won't share the bounty with them. David responded - "Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand."
There may be some in your company who do not seem to be strong enough to do as much as you do. But in God's economy, we share the spoil equally, because it was God who delivered the enemy into David's hand, and it is God who delivers any victory to us.
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