To Encourage You

2 Samuel 23:11-12 “And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines.  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.”

In 1 Samuel 23 we have an account of King David’s “mighty men.” They are described as valiant men who won great victories against Israel’s enemies.  One such man was Shammah. Like other of David’s mighty men, Shammah was known for how he stood alone against the enemy when everyone else fled.  He didn’t succumb to fear when everyone around him did. He didn’t shirk his responsibilities when everyone that was with him did.  

So, does that describe you when it comes to serving the Son of David, the King of kings?  Are you one to go with the crowd, when the crowd is directed away from God’s will instead of towards it? Do you know how to differentiate public opinion from God’s view of things? Is your rule for faith and practice the Word of God or the words of the majority and the trends of the day?  You see, that’s what separates the mighty, in God’s view. That’s what marks the true man and woman of God. 

The Bible tells us that “the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him” (2 Chronicles 16:9).  Isn’t that a wonderful verse, but isn’t it sad that even God himself has to search in this way?  God wants to bless our lives. God wants to use us to fulfill his purposes on this earth. But unlike Shammah, who was used by God to bring judgment against His enemies, God wants to love others through us and through us seek and save those who are lost (Luke 19:10). Yet, the path of obedience can be a hard one and it can be a lonely one for those who choose to walk in it.  But those who do so are in a much better place than the majority when the majority choose to walk the other way.  

So, where are you with respect to such things?  When others are prayerless, do you still pray? When few are zealous to share the gospel, do you share it anyway? When most are too busy to study God’s Word, do you choose the way of those few who long to sit at Jesus’ feet?  And when serving the Lord means to walk away from your friends, do you set an example or follow their example instead?  May the Lord help us to set our hearts on His way, no matter how many choose to walk in it.  May the Lord help us to have a single-minded focus on serving Him. And remember, He chose to suffer and die for us alone when everyone who had been with Him fled (Mark 14:50).