I have always dreamt that I would have this really bold major moment of my life. Something that would show, man he is what I want to be like. But unfortunately my greatest moment has been boldly wearing pink pants with navy blazer...not quite mighty man status.
There is a story in 2 Samuel 23, of a man by the name of Shammah. If Hollywood tried to come up with stories of mighty men we would think that his story was absurd. I wish that I could have been his friend. Maybe he would have let me carry his sword or shield? The story of Shammah is one that is ripped out of Hollywood. There is a massive battle between two armies and in the middle is a field of lentils. There he is standing in front of his men ready to do battle. He is probably holding his sword facing the enemy. He can see the enemy on the other side of the field. The lentils are waving back and forth in the breeze. This moment is frozen in time. Silence.
As he raises his sword, he starts to march into the field of lentils. The enemy charges he drops the sword letting his men know it is time to move forward. Shammah has been in multiple battles he has healed scars on his arms to prove the battles. As he plants his feet into the ground he swings the sword and shield in active warrior position. He is fighting for his people.
Can you hear his warrior scream? I can hear the battle cry from Shammah as he wages war around him. I can feel his battle cry. With every strike of his sword. The war rages around him, yet in his mind the battle is in slow motion, he can see the next moves before they are there.
As the battle rages on around him, his feet firmly planted, Shammah is starting to take the ground around him. He continues to fight, not giving up an inch of ground to those around him. The battle turns and the enemy, one of the most hated people, the Philistine army, start to flee. He has beat them back and the field of lentils has been won. As Shammah looks around he is alone. All of his army has fled. He sees the dead Philistine army around him lying there. Now realizing he has been fighting alone. He is a lone warrior on the battlefield, or is he?
This passage if flooded with emotion and passion.
This passage has been screaming out to me a lot over the last few weeks. I cannot get away from it. I have felt as if Sarah and I have been standing in a field of lentils fighting for 2 years, waiting and calling out for our next adoption.
We have shared with many people from time to time about these emotions and they prayed for us in that moment and often after that. This week I called upon a few people asking them to stand with us in this field of lentils as we wait for this moment. The moment that we get a call. THE CALL.
There are times in our lives when we feel as if we are fighting alone in a field of lentils for our lives. There was supposed to be someone by our side fighting with us but they have ran off. We become exhausted because the battle is not won by those who give up. The battle is won by those who fight even when exhausted. In the story before there is a warrior by the name of Eleazar has been fighting so hard and for so long he hand was too tired to lift his sword. I have felt that was for a while now. Too tired to even lift my sword and fight.
Maybe today you are standing in the field of lentils fighting. You feel as if you were not supposed to fight alone but you feel alone far too often. But here is the amazing this. At the end of verse 12 it says this, “So the Lord brought about a great victory.” Shammah held his ground in the middle of the field of lentils. Don’t be like those other Israelites and flea and run when the battle starts. Shammah is in the battle with the Lord by his side. Even though physically he is alone he is not truly alone.
Like Shammah, I am standing my ground in the field of lentils, because the battle is not won when we flea. The battle is won when we stand firm in the middle, when it is all raging around us.
Where are your feet pointed? Point your feet towards the battle, bend your knees. Hold your sword, ready to fight. There are moments you need to call on others to join you. There are those ready to fight with you. Maybe you are not in a battle at this moment, be ready someone may need you to fight with them.
So the LORD brought about a great VICTORY.
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