1 Samuel 30:9-15
9 So David left, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where some who were left behind stayed.
10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men, for two hundred who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor stayed behind.
11 Now they found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David, and gave him bread and he ate, and they provided him water to drink.
12 They also gave him a slice of fig cake and two cakes of raisins, and he ate; then his spirit revived. For he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights.
13 Then David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” And he said, “I am a young man of Egypt, a servant of an Amalekite; and my master abandoned me when I became sick three days ago.
14 We carried out an attack on the Negev of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the Negev of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.”
15 Then David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this band of raiders?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or hand me over to my master, and I will bring you down to this band.”
Pursuing the Enemy
Two stages of pursuit
David pursued the Amalekite raiding party. The pursuit was conducted in two phases: (1) Initially, all 600 of David’s men began the chase with him. (2) However, when they reached the brook Besor, 200 of the men were too exhausted from the continuous forced march and could not continue. So, David left them there and continued the pursuit with those able. David was a man who cared for the weakness of his men. Similarly, Jesus Christ, the Son of David, also cares for our weaknesses. Are you feeling weak right now? If so, let’s remember the words of the Apostle Paul: “And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me” (2 Cor. 12:9).
An Egyptian servant
While pursuing the Amalekites, David and his men found an Egyptian man on the verge of death. He was a slave of the Amalekites but had been left behind due to illness. The Amalekites had taken many captives, which probably reduced the value of a single slave. David provided him with sufficient food and saved his life. Fortunately, David learned from this slave that the Amalekites had raided Ziklag and other towns in the Negev. Additionally, David was able to make agreement with the slave to guide him and his men in their pursuit of the Amalekites. Interestingly, opportunities provided by God often come in unexpected forms. In this case, it came in the form of a dying slave. The key to seizing such opportunities is love. By showing love to this slave, David was able to obtain crucial information. Are there opportunities from God presenting themselves to you? Let’s be mindful not to overlook them.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, please help me seize Your opportunities through the principle of love that I learned today. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.