"But he took his stand
in the midst of the plot
and defended it
and struck down the Philistines,
and the LORD worked a great victory."
- 2 Samuel 23:12
This verse is referring to one of David's Mighty Men - Shammah.
My pastor mentioned this story in his sermon yesterday...if you know me, you know that I LOVE the old testament and Samuel is one of my favorite books. This is a story I have enjoyed because of the valiant effort and strength of David's mighty men. But I had never thought of it the way my pastor talked about it before and I think it's a valuable topic of discussion given the many conversations I've had recently.
Shammah likely stood his ground on that plot of ground because it was a field of lentils that he wasn't willing to give up. He dug in his heels and fought for something he knew was very valuable (you must have food to feed an army after all), even when everyone else was running away. The verse before this one talks about how all the other men he was with ran away, so Shammah defended this plot alone.
My pastor was talking about how we need to stand our ground instead of fleeing from Satan. It was an amazing and memorable sermon, sadly we do not record things here...but it got me thinking...
What fields are worth me fighting for in today's war...and I'm talking about the spiritual realms war that all who profess Christ are engaged in whether they acknowledge it or not...
People. God's people are the Church, the Body and they are the ones who get to go to Heaven. Loving and defending people should be the field we dig into and refuse to settle for defeat in. I know there are more, and even specific fields within that topic. Like men, women, children, gender roles, etc...but the general line is people. And people must be fought for...
...no matter the exhaustion (like Gideon)...
"And Gideon came to the
Jordan and crossed over,
he and the 300 men were with him,
exhausted yet pursuing."
- Judges 8:4
...no matter the pain (like Paul)...
"You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."
- Acts 20:18-24
...no matter the price (like Jesus)...
"who, though he was in the form of God,
did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the form of a servant,
being born in the likeness of men.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself by becoming
obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross."
-Phillipians 2:6-8
but like this verse says:
"Be watchful, stand firm in the faith,
act like men, be strong.
Let all that you do be done in love."
- 1 Cor 16:13-14
This battle must be fought with constant vigil, a deep rooted faith and intense spurs on our shoes to dig us into our ground. We must act like men, no matter how we feel or what the challenge is that lies ahead, and be strong no matter how scary things look.
"But the Lord GOD helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame."
-Isaiah 50:7
All the while, we cannot lose sight of Christ, God the Father, who is Love and came that they may have life. We are fighting for LOVE and you cannot do that alone. Vigil cannot be kept constantly by one person, he will fall asleep eventually, but with a rotating guard, there is no wearying...strength can be found in numbers (Ecc. 4:12)...and it's hard to know what a man should act like if you aren't around any...and pointless to be strong if there is no one to be strong for...and love doesn't work alone...
"By this all people will know
that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another."
- John 13:35
So any way, church was good yesterday...and I am gonna stand my ground here...I'm diggin' in...where are you gonna dig in?
