The Task at Hand - Rev. Teja Smith

 

The Task at Hand

1 Samuel 23:1-13

Triumph Baptist Church

1648 W. Hunting Park Ave.

Philadelphia, PA 19140

June 16, 2021

Rev. Teja Smith

 

“One day news came to David that the Philistines were at Keilah stealing grain from the threshing floors. ² David asked the Lord, “Should I go and attack them?” “Yes, go and save Keilah,” the Lord  told him. ³ But David’s men said, “We’re afraid even here in Judah. We certainly don’t want to go to Keilah to fight the whole Philistine army!” ⁴ So David asked the Lord again, and again the Lord  replied, “Go down to Keilah, for I will help you conquer the Philistines.” ⁵ So David and his men went to Keilah. They slaughtered the Philistines and took all their livestock and rescued the people of Keilah.  ⁶ Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he brought the ephod with him. ⁷ Saul soon learned that David was at Keilah. “Good!” he exclaimed. “We’ve got him now! God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself in a walled town!” ⁸ So Saul mobilized his entire army to march to Keilah and besiege David and his men. ⁹ But David learned of Saul’s plan and told Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod and ask the Lord what he should do. ¹⁰ Then David prayed, “O Lord, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul is planning to come and destroy Keilah because I am here. ¹¹ Will the leaders of Keilah betray me to him? And will Saul actually come as I have heard? O Lord, God of Israel, please tell me.” And the Lord said, “He will come.” ¹² Again David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah betray me and my men to Saul?” And the Lord replied, “Yes, they will betray you.” ¹³ So David and his men—about 600 of them now—left Keilah and began roaming the countryside. Word soon reached Saul that David had escaped, so he didn’t go to Keilah after all.” 1 Samuel 23:1-13, (NLT)

 

God has given me the privilege to disciple and mentor a small group of younger women (late 20’s). Over the course of time, I have grown close to each of them. We meet corporately for Bible study and prayer. I also mentor, counsel, and advise each of them individually. I have cultivated a Christ-centered bond with each of them. Recently, in our group chat, one of them asked another for a reminder of a date for an event that she was having. I seemed to be the only one that didn’t know about, and the only one not invited to the event. I innocently inquired further, but let it go after the lack-luster response that I was given.

If I’m honest, I was hurt by it. When I prayed about it, God gave me today’s text. He told me to “stay focused on the task at hand.” My God-given task was to counsel, mentor, and disciple. I was doing that. Friendship had indeed blossomed, but only in that context. I was hurt because I loss focus of the task at hand. I believe that you and I can both learn valuable lessons from today’s text as we journey through this walk with God, and learn to navigate the “ins and outs” of being used by Him. Let’s take a look and see if we can find ourselves in the text.

First, notice David’s innate drive to help others. He heard that the Philistines were stealing grain from the people of Keilah, and his first instinct was to help, because he knew that he could. Is that you?  When you see a need that you can meet, is it your natural inclination to help where and how you can? Yeah, me too. David wasn’t the king yet, but both his anointing and calling were already at work. I want to suggest to you, child of God, that it is not your title that makes you who you are in God. David was a natural king and protector long before he was crowned as such. Don’t worry about or wait for a title, just let God use you. Your gift will make room for you all by itself.

Also, to David’s credit, he was prayerful about this decision before he offered his help and services. After hearing about their plight, the first thing he does is pray and ask God if he should attack them. He was saying, “God, I know they need help and I know I’m able to help, but is this your will for me in this season? Is this something that You want me to do?” I cannot over emphasize how important it is for us to seek God’s will in all we do. You may, in fact, be in a position to help. It could be financially, emotionally, physically, or spiritually, but just because you can help doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s God’s will that you do.

Another noteworthy thing in our text is the apprehension of David’s men. They were already in a tight place themselves. They were on the run because Saul was trying to kill them. They certainly, as they voiced their concerns, didn’t want to fight the whole Philistine army. Sometimes those closest to us may think us totally crazy that we would even consider adding another thing to our full plates. But, also notable is that their concerns didn’t fall on deaf ears. David took their concerns to God and asked for confirmation. “God, are you sure you are calling me to do this too, with all the other stuff on my plate?” And God says, “yes” and promises His help and to give them the victory. So, David goes and does what he is called and anointed to do – he uses his gift and anointing to help those who need help. David and his men go, and save Keilah.

It is what happens next that is the biggest life lesson for me. David found himself in a dangerous dilemma, which was a direct result of helping the people of Keilah. Keilah was a walled town and Saul had heard that he was there. So, David did what we must always do; he prayed. David lived out the verses that many Christians only quote.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. ⁶ Seek

His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6, (NLT)

 

            When seeking God, David asked some very specific questions as He looked to God for direction. He asked God if Saul was actually going to come, and if the leaders of Keilah – the people he had just helped, would betray him. God answered David clearly and plainly. “Yes, Saul will come and yes, they will betray you.”

            I was floored. As I thought about how I would be “in my feelings,” I noticed that David did not seem to be. If he was, the Bible doesn’t let us in on it. All he and his men do with that knowledge is leave. It seems that David’s feelings weren’t hurt. He wasn’t looking for reciprocity in the relationship because he had stayed focused on the task at hand. The task was to help them, and he did. He was sent there by God, on assignment, to help them because God had given him a grace and an anointing to do so. He wasn’t there to build friendships or lasting loyalties. He had a job to do and he did it.

            What about you, child of God? Are you hurt, dejected or deflated because you are looking for some kind of loyalty or reciprocity when the truth is, it was just an assignment? I feel led to tell you today to stay focused on the task at hand. Our compensation comes from Christ. We must learn to stop looking for others to meet our needs and fill our voids. Is it possible that the relationship that has you hurting right now was only supposed to be an assignment? By God’s grace and with His help, let us be mindful of boundaries, and stay focused on the task at hand.