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Stand Your Ground
Jon Burgess12Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite, one of the three mighty warriors. 13He was with David at Pas Dammim when the Philistines gathered there for battle. At a place where there was a field full of barley, the troops fled from the Philistines. 14But they took their stand in the middle of the field. They defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory. 1 Chronicles 11:12-14
David and his Mighty Men show us that sometimes the best way to win a battle is to simply stand your ground. And sometimes, no matter how "Mighty" you are, you simply cannot keep fighting and need to rely on those around you. Every successful strategy in war involves both retreats and advances. There are times though, as with this barley field, when you cannot give up the ground because of its strategic location. 2 Samuel 23 sheds some light on the rest of the story. When Eleazar and the rest of the troops had given up from exhaustion, Shammah succeeded, and by his fresh and extraordinary prowess preserved the field. ( 2 Samuel 23:11-12 ). This was not a shame to Eleazer. We all run out of strength. This was a tribute to David's Mighty Men who fought together. When one fell back the other stepped forward and "the Lord borught about a great victory."
The only way to stand our ground is to stand together. Freedom isn't free. Freedom for our marriage, our kids, our neighbors, our city doesn't come without a fight. Our barley fields are our relationships and we cannot back down. What about when we get tired like Eleazar? What about when the pressure is on and the stress is high and our knees are buckling under the pressure? Reach out to your Shammah! Call up your small group, your mighty men and women of faith, and ask them to stand with you in prayer. Don't pretend you are strong enough on your own. None of us are. We are only greater together when we stand together. This stand in unity is essential both individually and corporately. God has decided to have a homeless church for most of our history build a home on Sand Island Access Rd. This land, this ground, this barely field, will be a home for all who come to seek the Lord. There are 250 thousand people who live within just five miles of New Hope Oahu. This parking lot and community center we are going to build is a giant welcome mat to our community that says "Welcome Home". Let us not be naive though. If this is where God has called us take our stand, we won't take this ground without a fight! From within and without the enemy will seek to divide us so he can conquer us. Greater is He that is in us then he that is in the world! Let's continue to stand in unity through humility that says "we cannot do this alone and we don't have to!"
Lord, I thank You for the reminder from Your Word this morning that relationships are worth fighting for. I thank You for the reality that we don't have to stand alone. I can't wait to see what You do next through the obedience of your people who refuse to retreat and refuse to stand alone. I pray that You would continue to break our hearts for those from the North, South, East & West that you have called by name and need a place to call home!
