1 Chronicles 19:10-15 ( ESV )
10When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front
and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them
against the Syrians.
11The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother,
and they were arrayed against the Ammonites.
12And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall
help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will help you.
13Be strong, and let us use our strength for our people and for the
cities of our God, and may the Lord
do what seems good to him.”
14So Joab and the people who were with him drew near before the
Syrians for battle, and they fled before him.
15And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise
fled before Abishai, Joab’s brother, and entered the city. Then Joab came to
Jerusalem.
For
those of you who have heard me teach, you know how I feel about Joab. I really
don’t have too many kind words to say. Constantly through the scriptures I see
him as one whose main goal is service to self. Yet, in this passage he sees one
of our greatest needs as a people. We need each other.
David’s men had won battle after battle. It is during this time that
David reached out to the Ammonites. The Ammonite king though acted foolishly as
he would humiliate David’s men. This was an act of war. Yet, the Ammonite king
had one trick card up his sleeve; he had hired mercenaries and surrounded
David’s army from all sides.
Joab
calls out to his brother Abishai to help him with the battle. “If the Syrians
are to strong for me, help me. If the Ammonites are to strong for you I will
help you.” This is how it should be as brothers in Christ. We are to be known
as those who look out for one another, when the battle becomes to much for us
to bear. Are we there when our brother’s backs are up against the wall?
Quite
often we look upon our brothers like the fallen victim on the road to Jericho.
We know that they are struggling, bruised and broken and yet we continue on our
way. Like the Levite, we have good intentions but never go further than looking.
(What is even crazier is that sometimes we only add even more injuries to
them.)
Please do not misunderstand me on what I am saying. There are many who
will reach out or fight for their brothers in the heat of the battle. That as a
matter of fact is what I want to focus on. Yet, sometimes if we will be honest
when seeing a brother’s back against the wall, we react in different ways.
1.
We become fearful of what
might happen to us when the battle is all around them. We ourselves might get
wounded.
2.
We just don’t want to get
involved.
3.
We are way to busy.
4.
We convince ourselves that
they deserve it. (Sometimes they do. Yet, are we willing to help them start
over again?)
Like
many of you I don’t know how many times I have felt as though I have had my back
against the wall. When it has seemed like you are all alone in the battle. It
happens to all of us. We leave a situation or are in the midst of it and we are
bruised, tattered and torn. Waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel and
yet covered by darkness.
A few
blogs back I talked about Joseph and how that through it all he realized that
God was with Him. There is no greater truth for us to realize. No matter how
dark the night might become the Light of the world is there shinning forth.
One
of the other great truths of the scripture though is that when darkness falls,
as believers, we have brothers and sisters. We are to love one another with
more than just words but also in deed. What makes life great, is when love is
put into action. We have those who are willing to catch us when we fall.
How
can we do that? Well, let me tell you how to make that practical from things
that have happened to us.
1.
The legendary phone call.
What a blessing to hear on the other end of the line. “We are praying for you.”
Knowing that they are not mere words but that you have brothers and sisters who
are taking you before the throne of grace.
2.
Simply listening. Sometimes
it’s best not to talk but just to listen. (This is a hard one for me.) Yet,
when we take time to listen we encourage. We don’t have all the answers for
everything. Listen to the heart of the individual.
3.
Take on the goal of being a
healing agent. We are to strengthen those who are weak and feeble. If we were
to see someone on the side of the road wounded in an accident we would do all
we could to help them. Remember this: Spiritually wounded and feeble brothers
and sisters are often more wounded than those who are physically. How can we
restore them?
4.
I’m ok is not always I’m
ok. Many of us will try to cover up our wounds. Will put on the fake smile,
quote our little verse or get busy with something else. When you know a brother
or sister is going through a tough time and you see the battle waging all
around them, love on them even more.
5.
The human touch. OK, I know
for some of us this is just CREEPY. Yet sometimes it’s all that is needed at
the moment. A hug, a touch, shaking a hand or even just a smile. I know that
sometimes it can be wrong. Yet, God also made us physical human beings and
sometimes without saying a word we acknowledge that we care even more.
6.
Lastly, the words, I’m here
for you. My family like all families had more than its share of faults, myself
included. One of the things I always knew was my mom, my dad and my brother
would always be there for me. Why? Because we are family.
My younger brother will
always be an example to me in this area. Like Jonathan to David he has helped
me out more than he will ever know. Two major moves in our times and yet he
selflessly gave of his time. I know that I can call on him and he will
willingly lay aside his comfort to be there.
Here
is the beauty of it all. We are a family and what a joy it is when the family
reaches out to lift up its fallen. How it must please our Father when he sees
his children loving on each other. We have been the recipients of this type of
mercy more than we could ever pay back. This should be the norm for all of us.
As Christ little ones we should be marked by his type of Agape love.
I
hope that the words of Joe Cocker might be able to be said of me, when it comes
to those who I know are in the darkness. “When your backs against the wall, and
you can no longer see, I will catch you, catch you when you fall, have a little
faith in me.” I thank all of you who have caught us and will still catch us
when we fall. I pray that I will do the same.
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