Everyone Who Was In Distress (1 Samuel 22:2)

 

Monday, June 30, 2025

Psalms 148; 149

1 Samuel 21:8-22:5

Acts 14:1-7

Everyone Who Was In Distress (1 Samuel 22:2)

 And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to David. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.

Being on the receiving end of harsh criticism is tough. We all like to think we are doing the right thing, all the time. But being on the receiving end of a compliment is often more difficult. Particularly if you have spent some time sitting with Jesus’ teachings about humility and self-emptying.

But sometimes (well, more often than we would like) we are actually the right man for the job, as it were. Being a Christian in a world of confusion means we often have that needed word of encouragement, or a greater degree of wisdom than our peers, or find ourselves as the one person in the group with the most generous and patient heart. Having our soul knit to Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit is visible in ways non-Christians can perceive and appreciate, even if they don’t know the gospel reason behind it. And so we find ourselves doing the right thing without even realising it, astounding and impressing those around us with what appears to be great wisdom and self-control.

David is on the run from Saul. We have now gotten to the beginning of what is to be a great cat-and-mouse game between the king and his successor. David does not know what to do with himself and, at the outset, has done some pretty silly things. He lied to Ahimelech in order not to arouse suspicion and got weapons and supplies from him. Then he fled to the foreign land of Gath and, realising his fame preceded him, pretended to be insane in order to appear harmless. That just got him into more trouble, and so he found a cave to hide in. But he is the anointed king, has the Holy Spirit of God with him, and people are drawn to him. And so everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul gathered to David.

There may have been some people who saw an opportunity for self-preservation by tying their fortunes to that of David; perhaps those who were in debt saw that, if they supported David, they might have that debt wiped when he took the throne off Saul. But there were also those who were in distress, as well as his own family, who just wanted to be with him because they saw something worthwhile. Yet even with all this confirmation from those around him, David will still move further away from his destiny before coming into it. The harshness of Saul’s persecution was difficult for him; but was the positive reinforcement from his supporters even more difficult to accept?

Who are some people in your life that love you? How might you feel more comfortable in accepting their love?

God our advocate and helper, the Holy Spirit who has been given to us: teach us to accept the blessings of others with grace, that we might affirm those around us, and bring greater glory to you and the work of your kingdom.