There is no way, God, that I’ll drink this! This isn’t mere water, it’s their life-blood—they risked their very lives to bring it! 2 Sam 23:17 (MSG)

Part 1 – The Three

Their feet silently pounded the dirt through the black night, hearts racing, alive, adrenalin pumping, blood clinging, hardening to the knives in their belts.

They had been running for near an hour now, and daylight was rushing in behind them. At least that was all that was at their backs. The fray may have been smaller than anticipated, but it was as ferocious as a battle fought in broad daylight with hundreds of men. They had slain six before reaching the well. And blood from six sticks just as much as blood from sixty.

The Three had left the cave in-between the third and fourth watch undetected by their own and had run 12 miles through the night, agile over the terrain, vision keen in the darkness. Their hearts were focused and minds controlled. When the low-burning fires of the city came into view, they took shelter and stopped to survey the situation. There were four guarding the gates, two that were patrolling the wall from the ground. However, they weren’t standing at attention, they weren’t searching the night for danger. They had grown comfortable in their enemies time of hiding. Complacent. Instead of having arms ready for combat, the guards were telling stories and laughing and leering and being anything but prepared.

This was good news for The Three. They thought they might even be able to retrieve their treasure without being seen… At least not bodily. They would leave a token behind for their enemies to cringe over when daylight arrived.

But now daylight was appearing. Their token still on them. As was their prize and another 6 lives on their heads. But what was another 6 in these times of war?

Their king – uncrowned, unanointed and announced but king to them all the same – was troubled, as he was prone to be. He’d been dreaming of a time when he'd felt strength and peace, certainty and hope. A time when he could see the way clearly and hear the voice of God above it all. He had done so much for them, these Three Men. They had been men of violence, men of pain, outcast and criminalised. Forgotten, forbidden and rejected. They had lived on the fringe of life for longer then they hadn’t been, dwelling in caves, eating what they could scavenge… wrestling their demons without hope or grace.

Until this man found them. This strange poet, regal and rebel. Who could be calculating and cold, and then gracious and warm all within the space of a minute. They could relate to him… the dissonance and tension that coursed through his veins was the same that ravaged theirs. But there was something else that he had that The Three hadn’t seen for almost a lifetime.

Hope.

Go to Part 2 – Poured Out

[vcex_image_grid columns=”3″ pagination=”false” thumbnail_link=”custom_link” link_title_tag=”true” custom_links_target=”_blank” overlay_style=”title-category-visible” columns_gap=”5″ img_hover_style=”fade-out” image_ids=”20934,20935,20937″ custom_links=”https://itunes.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1239768002?pt=118656308&ct=blog%20footer&mt=8,https://www.pktfuel.com/dailyemail,https://www.pktfuel.com/support” img_height=”350″]