So when he had eaten, his strength came back to him; for he had eaten no bread nor drunk water for three days and three nights. 1 Sam 30:12 (NKJV)
David and his generous strength.
Strength comes and goes in seasons. The heat is strong during summer but is overwhelmed by the cold during winter. Ourselves, we sometimes overflow with strength. And then during other seasons, our strength fails or is stolen, and we can feel weak and hollow. Sickness, betrayal, heartache, disappointment and exhaustion all take their toll on our physical and emotional strength. That's why it’s important to be connected with others, to have community and family (blood or not). When one is feeling weak and weighed down, whoever is alongside them can bend down and lift them up.
Strength is something we all have, and on the flip-side, something we all need from time to time. It’s not meant to be kept private, hidden away, selfishly used…It is designed to be shared and given. This can be done in all kinds of different ways – in the form of a hug, a listening ear, encouraging words, buying groceries, or standing tall and still beside someone who is struggling to do so.
In 1 Samuel 30, David and his army had returned to Ziklag to find the city sacked and the inhabitants, including his wives and children, taken captive. While pursuing the Philistines, David and (most of) his men came across an Egyptian man who had been left for dead. Not one of their own, quite possibly their enemy, a stranger. They could have easily ignored him. But David stopped, turned aside from his mission and offered this dying man help. He gave him food and water, and the Egyptian, who was nearly dead, destitute and alone, began to feel his strength return. And then HE was able to strengthen David's ability to locate his family and the enemy who had them. Strength given from one to another. Shared. Holy. Sacred.
Only 600 out of the 800 men in David’s army went with him to pursue the Philistines. 200 stayed behind filled with exhaustion from the previous battle. They were tired and weary. After David and his men had subdued the Philistines and rescued the captives, they returned with spoils of war to their home city. Some of the soldiers argued that only the 600 men who pursued the Philistines with David and rescued the captives should receive a share of the plunder. However, David saw things a little differently. He declared that the spoils would be given out equally to his whole army, whether they fought or not. They were family, a community… they would not be separated by the weak or strong, but would stand together. He understood that those who are strong today could fall tomorrow, and would need the once fallen but newly revived to help them up.
Don’t keep your strength to yourself. Share it freely and generously. Keep an eye out for those experiencing weakness, or who are overcome by exhaustion. Feed them hope and encouragement and watch strength return to their hearts. After all, we’re all in this together. And who knows, tomorrow we might need the gift reciprocated.
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