"Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
And David was then in the hold, and the Philistines garrison was then at Bethlehem.
And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me a drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, that is at the gate!
And the three brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the Lord, and said, My God forbid it me, that I should do this thing; shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy? for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it. Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mightiest."
~1 Chronicles 11:15-19
This story blows my mind. The devotion, the daring, the honor.... Wow... Would I be willing to do this? Am I near enough to my King to hear His whispers? Do I know my God well enough, am I well acquainted with the deepest and secret longings of His heart? Does He trust me enough to make such secrets known to me? All these questions and more search my heart when I read this.
"And the three brake through the host of the Philistines..."
Joab, Eleazar, and Jashobeam (King David's three mightiest men) were willing to give up their lives in order to fulfill the smallest request of their King. Their lives belonged to him. This is the only explanation of such sacrifice and audacity! They no longer cared for their lives, only for the life of their King. Basically they were living dead men. They gave up everything for David. They lived in a cave with nothing but essential survival gear (sometimes) and no family. They were hunted, hated, and "uncool". Their names were a bad word in the mouth of the world. But, oh, how sweet a time was this! To be alone with their King! To be in his presence always and to intimately serve and obey him. What joy!
"And David longed..."
One does not usually speak of their deepest longings out loud or to many people. They are usually expressed in a sacred whisper or in hushed tones to an intimate friend. These men had to have been very close to David in order to hear and perceive this longing; much less do anything about it.
"Now three... went down to the rock...into the cave of Adullam..."
The only way these men heard their king was by being where he was. David was in the Rock, Adullam (in Christ), so there must they also be.
"...and brought it to David: but David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the Lord, and said... shall I drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in jeopardy?"
Our King does not waste a single drop of our blood, nor cause us to uselessly sacrifice our lives. Everything He does will bring glory to Him. He values our lives and greatly desires to have full access to them. Oh, that I would attain to such an honoured status as to be known as one of the King's closest friends!
More questions come to mind. Am I truly willing to be dead? Have I dug my grave and declared to the world that the only way to get rid of me is to put me in it?
Do I desire my King's affection so much that I would do anything to get it?
Do I know my position as God's warrior? Do I even fully realize that as His soldier-saint such missions are entirely possible?
What are some small things that my King might desire? That one orphan in Haiti. A job for that jobless father of 4 down the road. A friend for the lonely girl in school. The evenings of that overworked dad who usually spends that time watching tv. The empty lot where gangs fight. The unborn baby inside a young girl whom no one cares about.
God cares about the little things. He says that if we are faithful in the little things, then we are fit for the big things.
Am I willing to give my life, to die, to see any of these things come to pass? Am I willing to spend my entire life on my knees, praying (fighting), to give my King what He deeply desires?
Father, my heart aches with the desire to be made into a woman known in this generation as a lily-white, set-apart princess of the Most High God whose life, when dissected into tiny pieces, declares upon each piece Jesus Christ and Him crucified! You have promised and, "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." ~1 Thessalonians 5:24
~Victoria Eira
