“The share of one who goes into battle is to be the same as the share of the one who remains with the supplies.  They will share equally.”

1 Samuel 30:24

My friend, do you ever wish that you could do more for the Lord, but find yourself bed bound with illness or sidelined in some other way?  Do you feel mentally, emotionally, and spiritually worn out?  I’ve had those times where I longed to be a missionary helping the disabled in foreign countries, but I know that my health will not permit it.  I would also love to be a mom, and adopt kids who need a forever home, but with my current circumstances it does not seem to be the Lord’s plan for me.  I dream of being able to speak and share my testimony but my voice is very hard to understand.  I sometimes think… if I just wasn’t sick-think of all of the things I could do! 

I was reading in my devotion tonight about David and his 600 men.  They had just returned to their town of Ziklag, only to find that it had been burned to the ground by the Amalekites and everything they owned had been taken- including their wives and children.  Needless to say, they were devastated!  They “wept so loudly until they had no strength left to weep.”  David however, found strength in the Lord and asked the Lord if he should go and fight against the Amalekites.  The Lord said ,”Pursue them, for you will certainly overtake them and rescue the people.”

David took all 600 men with him and went as far as the Wadi Besor.  At that time, they stopped and 200 of the men were just way too exhausted and weary to even cross the water.  Those men then stayed behind and watched over the provisions, while the others continued the pursuit.  They arrived at the Amalekites camp, and found them celebrating because they had taken so much plunder from the land of Judah.  With the Lord’s strength, David and his men slaughtered the men, took back their wives and children, and also left with spoil because they gained the flocks and herds of the Amalekites.  They shouted, “This is David’s plunder!”

On their way back home they came to the 200 men that had been too weary to fight.  Some of the soldiers, said “Because they didn’t go with us, we will not give any of the plunder we recovered to them except each man’s wife and children.  They may take them and go.”  David, being the man of God that he was exclaimed, “ My brothers, you must not do this with what the Lord has given us.  He protected us and handed over to us the raiders who came against us.  Who can agree to this proposal?  The share of the one who goes into the battle is to be the same as the share of the one who remains with the supplies.  They will share equally.”

You may be thinking, great story- but how does that pertain to me?  My friend, the Lord may not be asking you to be in the front of the battle, but He is asking you to stay and watch the provisions!  I, personally, may not be able to travel to foreign countries, but I can collect wheelchairs that are shipped to those countries.  I can pray for the missionaries, sent to far off lands.  I can spend time lifting up the disabled and encouraging the downcast in the place where I am at.  I may not be able to be a “mom” but I certainly can be an influence to the children the Lord has placed in my life.  I can love on them and hopefully lead them to Jesus.  I may not be able to speak all over the world, but by the grace of God, I can write down the things that the Lord has done for me and share that with others. 

Too many times we are focused on the fact that we are too exhausted to fight and the Lord is whispering to our hearts, “My child- just be faithful in watching the provisions.  That is all I’m asking of you.  Be faithful with what you can do and don’t spend your time dwelling on what you can’t.”  The Savior is so precious because He still divides the spoils with us.  We WILL BE blessed if we are faithful to our calling. 

So my friend, remember that even though you may be watching the provisions, you are still a vital part of the battle.  Be true to the Savior in whatever circumstance He has you in and watch the Lord shower you with spoils of spiritual growth!