(2 Sam. 23:4-5) “And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.” In the above verse David poured out the water unto the Lord that was given to him by these 3 brave and mighty men because he saw himself unworthy of their bravery. These men risked everything for a cause that they saw higher than themselves. They were men of 1) Courage – A courage that came not only from their faith in God but their respect for God’s man. Courage breeds courage, and it is contagious. These men were considered misfits in life (1 Sam. 22:1-2) and yet mighty in the above verse because they patterned a true hero named David. 2) Honor – Honor is an attribute of placing something or someone above oneself. Like Jesus Christ who came and died in our place on the cross. These men honored David even above life itself. 3) Sacrifice- These men were willing to lay down their lives for David, for just a cup of cold water. So, how are we to honor such men? David gave their praise unto the Lord because he saw himself unworthy, and we should do the same this Memorial day, for we too are unworthy of those that have given their lives for us. May we too pour out our thanks unto the Lord for such men !
( Gen 41:41-43) “And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt... A nd he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.” When Joseph was introduced to us in chp.37, he was a young inexperienced 17 year old boy, and yet 13 years later God raised him up to rule the nation of Egypt. So, what made him different ? The Answer : “ Time,” and his faith in God ! You see time is a wonderful teacher; 1) Time strengthens endurance . Endurance and faith can only be strengthened over time. Like exercise, we start out not able to do much but over time we find that we can do more. You see, God allows us to go through the ups and downs of life, to help us gain not only spiritual maturity, but also spiritual abilities. Spiritual endurance therefore enables us to handle life’s trials better. 2) Time strengthens patience . Although Joseph, ...
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