11 And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines. 12 But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great victory.
2 Samuel 23:11-12
I love the stories found with 2 Samuel 23 of David's mighty men. Especially this one - the story of Shammah. It takes place in a field of lentils. Most would look at the field and see no value in it. Why fight for beans? Why defend this ground? What made this farmland worth their lives?
The men with Shammah saw no reason to stay. They ran hard and fast from the enemy, surrendering the ground before the fight even began. But Shammah didn't.
He refused.
To him, this wasn't just a bowl of bean soup - this was the ground that He was to keep for the King. And knowing this, made it worth dying for.
Years ago, God spoke to me from this portion of scripture. He said, “Niki, your kids are your lentils. Fight for them.”
Isaiah 61: 1-3 tells the story of God's people whom He set free, dusted off, clothed, anointed and called. Called to what? To be "oaks of righteousness" PLANTED (which in the original Hebrew means "put in place") by the Lord for the display (the showcase, exhibition) of His glory (splendor and magnificence)."
Knowing this, we can confidently say that wherever God has put us in place - we are there not by accident, but on Kingdom assignment. And when we believe that and walk in that reality, we will approach our everyday ordinary differently. It will no longer be just a "bowl of beans." We will see it as the ground we are called to keep for the King. The people He has placed within our lives? They will be our lentils.
Like Shammah, we will fight.
We won't let the enemy take our ground.
We won't cower or run.
We won't sit silently by.
We will war in prayer.
We will boldly share the good news of Jesus.
We will mother differently, wife differently, manage differently, teach differently, friend differently, pastor differently, serve differently...
Because it won't be for nothing anymore.
It will be for His Kingdom.
This is our ground. These are our lentils.
We are God's Warriors.
This is what God is calling out.
Warriors in stilettos. Warriors in house slippers. Warriors in dress shoes. Warriors in work boots. He is calling to us, “TAKE YOUR PLACE.”
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