Tim and Kim Hodge
The Pastor’s Quill
May 19, 2013
One of my favorite Bible stories of commitment to leadership is this:
“David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Phili-
istines was then in Bethlehem. (v17) And David said with long-
ing, ‘Oh, that someone would give me a drink of water from the
well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!’ (v18) So the three
broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the
well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought
it to David. Nevertheless David would not drink it, but poured
it out to the Lord” (1 Chronicles 11:16-18, NKJV).
Bethlehem was David’s home town. The enemy, the Philistines, currently controlled it and had a garrison of soldiers there to protect it. Many times he had led his flock of sheep back into town as a boy after being out in the heat of the day and he would stop at that well and drink. Talking about it on that hillside was probably more reminiscing and just making a passing statement: “I sure wish I had some of that water now.”
Incredibly, these three men were the consummate followers. David, not yet king and still a fugitive from Saul, was their LEADER. To them, his request became their command. They fought their way in, filled a container with water, and fought their way out. It would be like us fighting our way into a Taliban stronghold to retrieve a water bottle.
What’s on your leaders heart? Do you know? Sometimes we have to be like these three men who came and just sat with David and listened to him talk. Then we pursue the leader’s heart’s desire.
Does it pay off? Sure does. These men went down in history and became the future leaders of Israel. It is a Kingdom principle: “You want to reign? Then you have to SERVE.”
In closing, David demonstrated the heart of a worshiping leader: he was so humbled by these men’s actions that he would not/could not drink the water, but offered it to God as a sacrifice. True leaders know it’s NEVER about them, but all about the call of God on their lives.
Pastor Tim Hodge
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