“David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him” (1 Samuel 22.1-2 NIV).
There are “D” words that have a negative stigma, but God is fully capable of turning them around. They are Distress, in Debt and Discontented.
The three “D” words caused men in the Old Testament to be unhappy in their current situation, so they risked it all and made their way to David. David was not yet king. In fact, David was a fugitive, running away from the current king who was trying to kill him. But as David learned to lean on the Lord, his men were exposed to what it really means to be fully submitted to God.
And what happened with this complete abandonment to the Father was amazing. David and his men became renown across the land. They achieved victories that seemed almost supernatural with the help of their God who defended them. Because they have nothing else to lose, they committed themselves fully to the promise of God in David’s life. They overcame every obstacle, and their strength, cunning and bravery established a legacy in a new kingdom.
What promise did David cling onto as he hid in the caves, writing and singing songs on the harp to His God? David would soon be the King over all of Israel and a man after God’s own heart. As these ragamuffins turned warriors gave themselves fully to David, they each became an integral part of his growing military force. Their names and deeds are written in the Bible for all generations to read and envision.
If we are carrying around one or all of these “D” words, we can throw ourselves to the mercy of God. He loves us, and He can do amazing things in us if we are submitted to Him. In fact, it is when we have nothing left to lose that we learn to be wholly submitted to the Lord. Sometimes being a ragamuffin is the best thing that could ever happen to us. God can turn our “D” words into words of victory, renown and strength.
“Now these are the chiefs of David’s mighty men, who strongly supported him in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, in accordance with the word of the Lord concerning Israel” (1 Chronicles 11.10 AMP).
