11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. So the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.
(2 Samuel 23:11-12)
Do the people you associate with, work with identifying you as a follower of Christ? I do not mean if they know your religion, but as a man/woman of God? The times we live in, the line between right and wrong is very blurry. Almost all behavior is acceptable in today’s society. Everyone has their version of the truth, and you as Christian are expected to accept it, or you are considered rigid, old fashioned, and hater. We are living in a world that is hostile to Christians, and it’s easy to blend in, to laugh at the dirty jokes, never to confront the gossip, and never to speak a word that would identify yourself as a Christian. Sometimes even among Christian friends, it’s hard to hold to your convictions for fear of what they will think. I can testify personally, even in the Christian WhatsApp group, as soon as I bring God into the conversation, there is silence. Why are we so afraid of offending the world? Why is it that people of other faith are so bold to display their serving false God, yet we are timid in sharing the truth about our living God? Let’s look at the life of a couple of people in the bible who took a stand for God and how God used them mightily.
First, I want to draw your attention to a man named Shammah. He was one of three mighty warriors of David. When Philistine Army attacked, most of the Israelites fled, but he stood his ground protecting a lentil patch. Why risk your life to protect a lentil field? Because the land belonged to the Lord ( Lev 23:25). It was given to Israel to use for His glory, Shammah did not want philistine to defile what belonged to Jehovah. Protecting the land was the Jew’s duty, and he took the responsibility seriously. When he stood his ground, God gave him victory, and he single-handedly defeated the philistines. Fleeing away was a logical choice, and no one would have thought any less of him, but he was not worried about what others were going to think; his focus was on pleasing God and do his duty. God honored him by giving him a victory.
Daniel was another young man in a hostile environment who decided to take a stand for God. He was only 15 when captured and taken to Babylon. He took a stand when no one would have blamed him for going with the flow. There was no social backlash for him if he would have decided to eat the meat. We can assume other captives were doing it. He was thousands of miles away from home in a foreign land, and an easy thing to do was not to rock the boat. But, He risked everything and said I would not defile myself. God rewarded his faith, and not only blessed him physically, but the bible says there was no one more knowledgeable. He lived to be at least 85 years of age, spending most of those years in enemy territory in the position of prominence. If he did not take a stand, he would have been another slave boy from Israel. Another young man named Joseph was also far from home and could have succumbed to sin. He could have explained away his behavior, and certainly, his life would have been a lot easier, but he ran from Potiphar’s wife and paid dearly. But, God honored his obedience, and he too lived a life of influence in Egypt.
Now let’s look at the other side of the coin. Samson was Nazarite. He was not in enemy territory, nor was he a captive. He was blessed with supernatural strength, and he was chosen to lead the nation. But, instead of living in obedience and by faith, he broke all his Nazarite vows and lived a sinful life. He was chosen to live a life of prominence, but instead, he made a mockery of his life and ended up as a prisoner. He decided to blend in with the world and enjoy the wine and woman. Joseph and Daniel, against all the odds, took a stand and did not defile themselves. Shammah, against all the odds, stood in faith to serve God. Samson, on the other hand, indulged and walked away from God.
How can we apply this to our lives today? You might say, I am not guarding any lentil field, nor am I a captive in Babylon, and I am definitely not a slave in Egypt. And all of that might be true, but God needs Shammah, Daniels, and Josephs more than ever. Men and women who are going to stand firm and not compromise the teaching of the scripture. We have too many Samson’s in the Church, who, although equipped with power, are too comfortable enjoying the things of the world instead of standing firm on principle. Too often, we act like Peter, and at the first sign of trouble, we deny Jesus. He missed three opportunities to witness and stand for Christ. How many have you missed? Too many times, we are so afraid of the consequence like Peter that we take the easy way out instead of taking a stand for God. For us taking a stand may mean not participating in gossip. How about not taking a drink at the office party? How about not serving alcohol at your party? How about not cursing or better yet working honestly? If you have blended in so much with the world where an outsider can not tell the difference between you and nonbeliever, you have become Samson. All of us have many opportunities to take a stand and display our faith. Maybe God has you in committee where He needs you to stand for Him. Yes, it might be easier for you to get out because you are the only one who is Godly, and perhaps others want you out too, but if you take a stand, God will use you and elevate you. Remember, you standing with God is the majority; I don’t care how many are against you. Too many times I hear Christians say, there are a lot of problems in Church, but what can I do alone. Well, have you tried like Shammah to just do your duty? Daniel was 15 yr old prisoner in a foreign land, and he took a stand, why can’t you? Whatever position you are in, God has you there for a reason. If you stand firm like Shammah and work faithfully, he will honor you and meet you there. Perhaps you can’t be an articulate verbal witness for Christ in front of a group. But you can still take a stand by your behavior, your character, and your quiet resolve not to compromise. Just “show up” in the sense of siding with Jesus, even if you aren’t clear about how to defend the faith. Show your commitment and love for the Savior, and He will use you as He used Daniel, Joseph, and Shammah. We need to remain strong about God’s truth and stand by it regardless of consequences. True believers are not affected by the times, situations, the values of the culture, or current trends in society. Christian beliefs aren’t always popular, and standing by them is never comfortable. But, we serve a mighty God who never leaves us or forsakes us. Amen
only savior jesus 