Day 3 Week 4 What do we do when we see our brothers and sisters spiritually exhausted? Do we kick them when they are down or do we encourage them? In 1 Samuel 30 David and his men were stationed at a place called Ziklag. In this story the band of warriors went out to fight the Philistines, and while they were gone away, the Amalekites came and burnt down Ziklag and took all the women and children. Can you imagine, fresh off a battle with the Philistines, only to find that the city had been burned along with their stuff and their family being taken. It must have been devastating for David and his men. It says, “David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and wept until they had no strength in them to weep.” (1 Samuel 30:4) David was faced with what many of us face today; we must make a choice that will affect people within our influence in the face of adversity. He was responsible for his men, and he did the only thing he had the strength to do, and that was go to God. When we find ourselves or others around us in a place of weakness we must first understand that only God has the power to strengthen anyone. After seeking God for an answer David rallied up his men to pursue the Amalekites, but some were too tired to go back into battle so they stayed behind to watch their stuff. The men who had the strength to fight went and got all their stuff back, along with the women and children. Whenever it came time to divide the spoil between the men some of the men who were at the fight made the argument that, “Because they did go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and children, that they may lead them away and depart.” (1 Samuel 30:22) So…what would you have done? If you had just come back from battle and had to divide the spoil evenly among the men even though the amount of fighting that was done was not equal. This story shows the importance of acknowledging God for everything first and foremost, but also realizing the significance of our brothers and sisters. Not all of us do the same amount of work in the Body of Christ. Some of us, God has given extra strength not for ourselves but so that we could make up for others weaknesses. “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.12 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle,[c] encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.” (1 Thessalonians 5:12-15)
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 15:47:16 +0000
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