Tuesday, February 2, 2021

CONSIDER THIS: LOYALTY

“So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord….2 Samuel 23:16

CONSIDER THIS: The account in this verse is amazing. If you actually see it in one of the old time Bible movies about King David, it is even more impactful. David and his “Mighty Men”, as the scriptures call them, were equally in danger and under duress. Yet these three great soldiers put their very own lives at risk to get the equivalent of “designer water” for their leader, who was just reminiscing about the tasty spring waters of Bethlehem, his birth place. When they bravely went behind enemy lines, drew a large amount of water from the Bethlehem well, and escaped again to take the water to King David, he was immediately cognizant of the fact that he did not deserve such a favor. He knew the men had risked their own lives to satisfy his fleeting thirst for tasty water.

The question for us is – are we willing to risk ANYTHING to please our God? David took the gift of his special favorite water and poured down the altar as a drink offering to the Lord. He did not even take one drink. What the three warriors and their other comrades saw was a man so completely sold out to the Lord, that he gave Him the thing he desired most at that moment in time. Scripture tells us that the Lord desires the praises of His people. Worship is not music but a frame of mind, which includes prayer, music and the Word of God.

David worshiped God in praise (as the pouring of the Drink Offering) as he prayed in 2 Samuel 23:17 “Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

ACTION: By definition, a Christian is loyal to Christ. Many of us would go the extra mile to win our loved one to Salvation or to feed and clothe a relative, friend or homeless person. The question is, are we therefore loyal or better yet, absolutely aware of the sacrifice God gave on the Cross? Are we willing to give up a craving for some fancy thing, as David did? Are we so tuned into the Holy Spirit that we can pray, praise, read the Bible and fast when spurred by the Spirit so we can grasp that the greater calling of the Christian is to worship God over everything else? We can enhance our spiritual maturity if we react proactive, daily, to all of these points, going forward. We will suddenly find ourselves instinctively drawing closer to the Lord, in prayer, bible study and deed.

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