Know Who Is With You And Who Is Against You
These were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was banished from the presence of Saul . . . they were relatives of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin . . .
Other Benjamites and some men from Judah also came to David in his stronghold. David went out to meet them and said to them, "If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you."
Then the Spirit came on Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said:
"We are yours, David!
We are with you, son of Jesse! Success, success to you, and success to those who help you, for your God will help you."
So David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands.
I Chronicles 12:1-18
Other Benjamites and some men from Judah also came to David in his stronghold. David went out to meet them and said to them, "If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you."
Then the Spirit came on Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said:
"We are yours, David!
We are with you, son of Jesse! Success, success to you, and success to those who help you, for your God will help you."
So David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands.
I Chronicles 12:1-18
God gives us dreams and visions for our lives to serve His Kingdom agenda and humanity as a whole. He brings people around us to help accomplish those objectives. Those dreams could take a myriad of forms: It could be an invention that would make a remarkable difference in the lives of many. It could be songs that might nourish the souls of many. It could be books that might turn lives around and encourage many. It could be medical accomplishments that would bring hope to many. It could be a business to employ many. It could be a ministry that will touch many lives, homes and families. It could be political leadership that could turn the fortunes of a nation and people around.
But the truth is, not everyone who comes around you has your best interest at heart. Some come around as wolves in sheep's clothing. Others come as opportunists and negative influencers. Some come with their own agenda. Some might even come as agents of the Devil (Jesus said to His disciples very early in His ministry that one of His disciples was a devil -- John 6:70). We must not be naive about this reality. Ignorance in this area can be rather costly.
David had been anointed by God to be the next king of Israel but he was going through very difficult times as he waited on the Lord for the appointed time. He was living in exile and many were flocking around him because of his future. But David was not naive. He knew that not everyone had his best interest at heart. So, he confronted the Benjamites (who were from the same tribe as King Saul from whom he was running): "If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies...may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you." David confronted them because he wanted to know where they stood with him. The Spirit of God gave the assurance, through a prophetic word, that those Benjamites were sincerely on the side of David!
There is a time to confront situations and persons whose spirit or loyalty we are unsure or uncomfortable with. Jesus knew that Judas was not for Him so at the last supper, Jesus confronted Judas. Jesus said to him, "What you are about to do, do quickly." Satan entered Judas and he left the team. Judas ended up betraying Judas. He had never been for Jesus.
Question: Are you exercising discernment when it comes to the people around you? Are you asking the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and understanding to distinguish those who are genuine from those who are not? David was not naive. Jesus knew who was against Him. We must love all but we must exercise great discernment otherwise the dreams and visions God has given us can be severely hindered.
But the truth is, not everyone who comes around you has your best interest at heart. Some come around as wolves in sheep's clothing. Others come as opportunists and negative influencers. Some come with their own agenda. Some might even come as agents of the Devil (Jesus said to His disciples very early in His ministry that one of His disciples was a devil -- John 6:70). We must not be naive about this reality. Ignorance in this area can be rather costly.
David had been anointed by God to be the next king of Israel but he was going through very difficult times as he waited on the Lord for the appointed time. He was living in exile and many were flocking around him because of his future. But David was not naive. He knew that not everyone had his best interest at heart. So, he confronted the Benjamites (who were from the same tribe as King Saul from whom he was running): "If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies...may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you." David confronted them because he wanted to know where they stood with him. The Spirit of God gave the assurance, through a prophetic word, that those Benjamites were sincerely on the side of David!
There is a time to confront situations and persons whose spirit or loyalty we are unsure or uncomfortable with. Jesus knew that Judas was not for Him so at the last supper, Jesus confronted Judas. Jesus said to him, "What you are about to do, do quickly." Satan entered Judas and he left the team. Judas ended up betraying Judas. He had never been for Jesus.
Question: Are you exercising discernment when it comes to the people around you? Are you asking the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and understanding to distinguish those who are genuine from those who are not? David was not naive. Jesus knew who was against Him. We must love all but we must exercise great discernment otherwise the dreams and visions God has given us can be severely hindered.
Prayer: Lord, you know the heart of every person. Please open the eyes of my understanding to distinguish those who are genuine from those who are not. Amen.