I Chronicles 12:22
“For day by day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army like the army of God.”
This is so cool, almost story book. David was chosen by Samuel to be king at a young age, maybe 13 or 14 years old. Later he was bringing lunch to his brothers at the battle line, as well as bringing gifts to their captain. While there he heard Goliath, taunting Israel and God. David asked to fight and defeated him. Saul conscripted him to be the captain of his armies. Saul got jealous and tried to kill him. He fled and lived as a fugitive for nearly a decade. When he fled, he may have been around 18 to 20 years of age. So, he would have been around 20 when todays verse was happening.
David was many things: a warrior, a musician, a writer of psalms, a godly individual who had a heart for God and a man’s man. He was an exciting individual. I would have thought it would have been hard for him to be humble, but we see little about that. The ten years on the run may have been to keep him humble and to keep him dependent on God.
Manly men gravitated to him as well as those needing more. I Samuel 22:2 says, “And all who were distressed or indebted or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.” In a sense, David is their pastor as well as their leader. While Saul had a more impressive physique, David had character to accompany him. He brought these individuals hope.
What I want to focus on is how God wants to bless us all with friends and fellow believers to be with us. I’m not saying we’re the leader, but we all need friends. He will provide them. I just went to a birthday party with a friend that I had as a new christian. That was forty years ago. We see each other for breakfast or a football game about twice a month. This friendship was God ordained. We hand a great time serving together in ministry back then. He’s a great friend now.
David needed friends and fellow warriors. Saul and his army were after him. Think of the resources of the department of defense after a citizen; the army, the air force, the marines and so on. David was running and hiding in the wilderness. Occasionally he would cross the border into a neighboring country. A movie called the Terminal List was like that. Someone in the military industry talked the joint chiefs into corruption and part of that was to have Chris Pratt’s entire special forces group killed. Except Chris survived only to have several attempts on his life. That entire season was all the military resources after him. Quite a movie. He prevailed with the help of friends.
Not to over dramatize our lives, but we do have the principalities of the evil one against God’s children. Most of it we are unaware of. Much of it, God and His angels protect us from. But we do walk amongst spiritual warfare. The world, the flesh and the devil are against us. Ephesians 6 tells us we are to stand. Not run offense or to take scalps, but to stand. Not to fall for lies, temptations or to compromise. God will help us greatly.
Part of that is to have godly friends who encourage and support us. We get their wisdom, we are inspired by their stances and are encouraged to stand ourselves. David and his men encouraged each other and became a fighting force. As individuals join a troop their strength rises exponentially.
Lord, thank You for the friends you give us. They are necessary for standing and a blessing that fills our hearts.