All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around
him, and he became their leader.... - 1 Samuel 22:2
God uses broken things to accomplish
His greatest work. When David was anointed to be the next king, he was just a
boy, the youngest among all his brothers. Little did he know that the next
several years would be years of fleeing from Saul whose successes turned into
obsessions as a leader who had fallen from God's anointing. Perhaps David
thought, "Why am I living a life as a fugitive?" I am the next king
of Israel. Yet, his life was filled with adversity after adversity before he
ever fulfilled the ultimate calling God had for him. Others began to hear of
David's successes and identify with his plight. But, it wasn't the successful
and polished who came to join him. It was "those who were in distress or
in debt or discontented" who would be part of his army -- and an army it
was! His army would become known throughout the world as the greatest ever
assembled, not because of their skill, but because of the God behind the army.
God turned David's men into "mighty men of valor" (see 1 Chron.
11:10).
God often uses failure to make us
useful. When Jesus called the disciples, He did not go out and find the most
qualified and successful people. He found the most willing, and He found them
in the workplace. He found a fisherman, a tax collector, and a farmer.
The Hebrews knew that failure was a
part of maturing in God. The Greeks used failure as a reason for
disqualification. Sadly, in the Church, we often treat one another in this way.
This is not God's way. We need to understand that failing does not make us
failures. It makes us experienced. It makes us more prepared to be useful in
God's Kingdom -- if we have learned from it. And that is the most important
ingredient for what God wants in His children.
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