Good morning my beloved. The late preacher, Dr. G. Vernon McGee used this expression quite often in his broadcasts, "My beloved." It is a term of endearment. Isn't it marvellous that someone from without the camp, for McGee was a stranger to us, would think of us as "his beloved." We are never alone.
In 1 Sam 22:1,2, David appeared to be alone and in the camp of the Philistines, the enemy. Finding himself in great danger among the Philistines, David returned to his own land, which he ought never to have left. Verse 1, "David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam." When this dear soul found himself overwhelmed by the enemy, he did the wise thing and retreated. How often would we stand and fight, saying, "I must be strong for the Lord in this place." There is a time to retreat. There is a time when we ought to seek the solitude of the "cave" and find ourselves.
There was some 400 of the finest soldiers with David. He was not physically alone, but he felt alone. Isn't that how we feel sometimes? We are standing in a crowd, but oh so alone.
Now, when you feel alone, think on this. David yearned to have a drink of water from the well at the gates of Bethlehem. For this we skip to 1 Chron 11:15-19. Remember, the enemy is all about, but three of David's men heard his wish to have water from that well. Three of those men risked their lives and retrieved water from that well and brought it to David. They risked their lives for a drink of water.
Now, David was gien the water, but would not drink it. What does he do with it? He did not just refuse the water, but poured it out to the Lord. He honoured God with this water which ws bravely collected in the midst of the enemy. Do we satisfy ourselves with the blessings that people bring to us at great price? Do we take lightly the consolation another brings to us, and continue our journey of pain and misery? A good friend, says, I am with you. I am praying for you. And such things. We hear them, but we turn our minds away. They are mere words. We ought to be like David and "spill" them out unto the Lord and this is what Paul was talking about when he said, "When I am weak, then am I strong." Not in himself, but in the Lord.
The lesson here is that when we think we are alone and without the water we want so badly, there are precious souls who will brave the enemy for us. So, we are never alone. We have a mighty host with us. The Lord is ever present, and there is an army of valiant people surrounding the camp who will do yeoman service in our behaf. Let us praise God for that valiant army, and "spill" the water unto the Lord.
God bless each of us as we face this day knowing we are not alone, and we are in the camp of King Jesus, where we will never thirst because He is the Living Water, and it shall never again be spilled as we are filled with His love, mercy and great strengths.
Cheers,
Jim