Warriors Arise: December 15, 2020
1 Samuel 30:21-22 (NKJV) 21 Now David came to the two hundred men who had been so weary that they could not follow David, whom they also had made to stay at the Brook Besor. So they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near the people, he greeted them. 22 Then all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except for every man's wife and children, that they may lead them away and depart.”
The parable Jesus tells that aligns with this passage is found in Matthew 20. The response of the 400 warriors who didn't want to share the spoil but only wanted to give the 200 men their wives, children and send the on their way strikes at the heart. Have you been in that position before? If you haven't read the Bible's description of these warriors, wicked and worthless, how would you have described them?
The description is extremely convicting. I know there have been times when I have thought exactly what those warriors said. I do not recall a time when I said it out loud, but I know it was in my mind. I remember reading and rereading Matthew 20, the parable Jesus told of the workers in the vineyard.
Matthew 20:1-16 (NKJV) “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’ 8 “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ 9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. 11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ 13 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”
When I was studying this passage, here is what God said that opened my eyes, "No one wins in the comparison game." That got my attention. I read the parable again. That is exactly what I was doing comparing the work of each of the workers. The ones who were asked in the eleventh hour hadn't said no in the first hour when the landowner had gone early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. They hadn't been asked until the eleventh hour. They didn't even know the landowner was needing the help earlier in the day. It isn't as if he had asked them earlier, each time he went into town to get more help. How can I compare what I do for God to what others do for God. God does not compare us to one another because He has created us to fulfill different positions within the advancement of His kingdom. You and I cannot be compared to another because we hold different positions. No matter what the position is, we have different responsibilities. There is no comparison, because we have different obligations and responsibilities for the call God has on our life. The question is: Will you answer the call when He comes to ask you to be a laborer in His fields, for they are ready for harvest.
David's men didn't understand. Life is not a comparison game. We do not prove ourselves to God. We serve willingly; because it is our love response for all He has done for us. We are not called to do what the next person is called to do; therefore, we cannot be compared to them nor them to us. David left the 200 men because he saw they were unfit for battle. Their lives, if lost, would be on him. David took the men he needed. Maybe he remembered when Gideon took an army with just 300 men. The Amalekites were not even close to the size of the army Gideon faced and David had an 100 men more than Gideon. Again, the question: When God calls you to the battle will you be ready and will you go?
Father, I ask for You to help me see I am not in competition with others. You have created each one of us different so we can reach different people. You have specifically put in me gifts, talents, and my personality to reach specific people. You have given to each one exactly what they need to reach the people around them. I place myself before You to be trained. I want to be ready every time You call. I want to be available every time You are harvesting. I want to be willing to set down what I am doing and do the work that is ready. I pray for You to open up opportunities for there to be a revival in our land that reaches all the way around the world. I declare darkness and the deeds of evil to be put down and stopped in the name of Jesus. I declare Your kingdom come, Your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. I pray for more laborers to advance Your kingdom. I pray for sickness, the coronavirus, to be gone in Jesus' name and life abundantly to come to Your people. I ask for You to minister life abundantly to Your people. I pray for broken hearts to be mended by Your love and for Your peace in our minds. I pray for strength to come to the weak and joy to be restored in Your people. I ask for truth to be revealed and embraced, as the lies are exposed. Let Your will be done in Jesus' name amen.
A Warrior in the Lord’s Army,
Veridee Joy Hand
My hope is for Believers in Jesus Christ to join together each day to pray, to push back the enemy as we release God’s power here on earth against the coronavirus, riots, and lies. The prayers will be listed each day as Warriors Arise. I will put a date with it so we can keep them straight. If you have any questions please feel free to make a comment or private message me. If you would like this to come to your email directly please go to verideehand.com and subscribe.
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