S) "2 Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him."
1 Samuel 22:2 (NASB)
O) There is such a wonderful thing happening here. David, the forever-established king of Israel, the forefather of Jesus, gathers to himself the rabble, the least likely, the destitute and desperate, the common, and he leads them to glory. This is such a moving foreshadow of who Jesus is to us. Before we meet Him, we are all distressed, indebted, discontented, abandoned, the least of the world. Then Jesus comes, just like his father David, and He pulls us into His service, His army, to lead us for His mighty purposes.
A) It's easy to forget what it was like without Him. It's easy to forget, I haven't always been part of this. I haven't always been one of men, gathered to Jesus. So, I need to recall my beginnings. I need to recall how lost and aimless I felt, discontent with the direction of my life. I need to be reminded how much debt was overwhelming me. I need to make myself remember how far my stress reached; how completely desperate I was when I was gathered to Jesus. He erased my debts, provided refuge, eased my heart, and calmed my anxieties. He gave me a purpose. He gave me a place with Him.
P) Father, forgive my selfishness, God. You drew me in, elected me, and gave me so much that I can never even fathom repaying. I do not want to be negligent to Your purposes, God. I want to be faithful and obedient and effective as one of Your elected. David started with a small group of cast-offs, and I started as a cast-off. But David used this small group of elected men, this rare group of men; he used them to stage some of the greatest military and political accomplishments. I know that You have a purpose for me in the place You've put me. I don't want this to be about me anymore, Father. I want to be part of Your four hundred men. Change my heart, by the Holy Spirit inside me, to change my desires and motives. I submit myself to Your discipline, God. I submit myself to Your ways, Your will. Use me how You see fit. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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