13 During harvest time, three of the thirty chief men came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 14 At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. 15 David longed for water and said, "Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!" 16 So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD. 17 "Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this!" he said. "Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?" And David would not drink it.
Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.
I never used to understand this passage. What an ungrateful wretch David must be to pour out this water that his men had just risked their lives for. They had worked so hard for that water, for David to just pour it out on the ground seemed bizarre to me. Why didn't he just drink it? Now I think I better understand this passage. Having asked from people their support for a trip that I feel God is calling me to I was not prepared for what would come. People did give and they keep on giving, they say they will pray for me, they throw me parties, they say they will miss me and all I want to say is that I do not feel worth any of this in the least. I want to do what David did and just pour the gifts on the ground before God and say, "Far be it from me to do this...". Though I suppose you could say with good reason that they are not really giving to me but to God they have still chosen that this particular thing is how they want to give to God. I doubt many of the people involved would have given directly to where I am going but now that I am going there they have taken interest, at least by sharing their hard earned money. Money? Isn't there one of the worst global recessions in years going on? Aren't people losing their jobs and homes right and left? Shouldn't have these good friends looked after their futures and their families rather than give it to some upstart kid? The kid that isn't even totally sure all the time God really called him and what he felt isn't just some TCK three year itch. It doesn't make sense. I am completely humbled. There has been no parallel, that I have experienced, to compare to this current circumstance. I want to do what David did but I can't. So now I go. Hopefully more in tune with what I should be doing, with God. The Mighty Men just wanted to get someone that they loved and respected some water that he had asked for, but David seeing all of that devotion displayed knew immediately that he did not deserve it. I don't deserve it either. Thank-you all the same though. We shall just have to see how God uses this I suppose.
