One of my last summers in college I was riding out the remains of my groceries and protecting the small bit of gas money I was saving to travel across the country for a ministry internship. My meals consisted of things like eggs, green beans, refried beans, pancakes, etc. I barely had enough to last until I left. Then came a knock on my door.
Standing outside were a brother and sister from Ecuador that attended my small Christian College with me. She needed a place to stay for a while and to be able to fix meals for her and her brother. They came without provision so it was my unique assortment of foods that fed us at first.
I'll never forget the feeling of having next to nothing and being asked to extend it to my neighbors in need. Sometimes when you feel you have nothing to give, God calls you to to feed the 5,000 (Matthew 14:13-21). Leading you to act upon faith instead of ability, God plans to provide and intervene. Because He is your God, you can freely give.
This incident reminds me of David, in hiding at the cave of Adullam, while his family and four hundred distressed and outlawed persons gathered to him for leadership. He literally had fled for his life, having to approach the priest in Nob for bread and a sword. This was a desprate measure for a man in crisis. We don't find David sitting upon a seat of wealth and leadership. We find him hiding in a cave.
That cave, though, was a place for remembering and transformation. The caves of Adullam were located in the Elah valley. High upon a hill where he could watch for coming attacks, this hill overlooked that valley of significance. Waiting and watching, David was overlooking the place of his victory against Goliath. The hard knocks of life had David seeing the Giant from a new perspective, but this was a great place to stop and remember what the Lord had done through his faith in days past. I believe he gained strength and new hope from remembering what the Lord accomplished in that place.
When the many began to gather under David's leadership uninvited, David had to turn his perspective away from his own difficult situation. God forced him, in the midst of trial, to lead with others in mind. The time of remembering only lasted for a moment, and then David had to move on with his newly formed band of four hundred men.
God requires much of us some days. He wants us to grow in making decisions according to His ways and provides opportunities for us to practice an ever increasing gift of faith. May we push on toward our goal in Christ Jesus, remembering the victories and facing trial through the eyes of faith.
© 2007 by Kendra Hinkle
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