Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Step up

5 Then David set out and went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of the army, had lain down. Saul was lying inside the camp, with the army encamped around him.

 6 David then asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, "Who will go down into the camp with me to Saul?"
      "I'll go with you," said Abishai.
1 Samuel 26:5-6

How many of us would volunteer for a suicide mission?

That appears to be what Abishai does.

Put yourself in Abishai's shoes. Saul is in the innermost part of the circle of his troops. Abner, who is a heroic warrior and Saul's body guard, is lying right next to the king. You have to sneak through a maze of warriors, fearing that at any moment someone will wake up. If they were warriors wouldn't they be taught to sleep with one eye open to guard their king? Someone among these 3,000 has to be on watch. One bad step, whether you touch a warrior or just step on a stick and you're as good as gone!

Then, once you get to Saul, how do you get back out?

Would you volunteer for that?

I have to admit, I probably wouldn't.

Last week I watched the movie "The Kingdom", which is about suicide bombers in Saudi Arabia, who would die for their faith. After watching that I wondered what kind of faith must a person have to do that?

I started to think about Christianity in the US and wonder about the strength of our faith. To what level would we go? Ponder that a moment…how far would you go for your faith? Would you go this far:

32And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37They were stoned[f]; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

 39These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Hebrews 11:32-40

That is our legacy!

Will you be the one that says "Here I am, send me"?

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