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"But David said, 'My brethren, you shall not do so with what the LORD has given us, who has preserved us and delivered into our hand the troop that came against us.'"
(1 Samuel 30:23)
God has blessed and encouraged me greatly from 1 Samuel 30. At this point in the story, David was on the run from Saul. He had accumulated quite a crew who traveled with him. Some of these six hundred men were difficult. But they felt safe with David and believed he was a man they could follow. God clearly gave David the green light to go into battle and recover what the Amalekites had stolen. As they pursued their enemies, two hundred of David's men grew faint and could not continue on to the battle. They stayed behind and watched the supplies while David and the four hundred men with him went on to fight. God gave them the victory, and they recovered all that was lost.
When David and the four hundred men came to the two hundred who had stayed behind due to fatigue, the four hundred refused to allow the two hundred to enjoy the bounty of what they had retaken. But David rebuked the men, as we read in our Scripture for today's devotion. David chose generosity over petty selfishness. He did the right thing, and the two hundred must have felt greatly relieved when their leader chose to bless and honor them. The four hundred went along with David's decision, though they most likely were not too happy about it!
How generous are you? ...and how so toward those who may not deserve your benevolence?
Avery Johnson and David Robinson played basketball for the San Antonio Spurs. Johnson said that he knew Robinson was a man of integrity because he still gave a large tip to the restaurant staff even when they gave poor service. It is easy to be generous when times are prosperous, when people treat you well, or when you are in a giving mood. But to be generous in every circumstance of life, well, that is a challenge, but it is what we all should be striving for.
God has blessed me through 1 Samuel 30. He has revealed to me through His Word that there will be tough times in this life when we are misunderstood, disliked, and even opposed by those who know us well. When those times come, then we should strengthen ourselves in the LORD, like David did. We are to humble ourselves before Him and cry out to Him for His help. He will come to our aid, and He will cause us to be fortified and empowered. We are to pray and ask God for clear direction. He will answer us. He may answer immediately and dramatically, but most likely He will answer after we have waited and persevered. When God gives the green light of victory, we must move forward and lavish generosity on others with the blessings God has given to us. Sometimes people will not be as deserving, but that is okay. God desires us to bless and not hold back.
How will you be generous to others today?
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