Ready for the King

"One Year Bible" Old Testament History Passage
I Samuel 22:1-23:29

"David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him." I Samuel 22:1-2 (NKJV)

What a way to start an army! David had been run out of Israel, rejected by the Philistines, and now was hiding out in a cave. From this very obscure and humble place, God began to build an army around him. But look at what kind of men came first!

These first men represent the three "D's". DISTRESSED, in DEBT, and DISCONTENT. What a mottly crew! But there's another way to look at them. They were HUNGRY; and they were DESPARATE. They were men who had run out of answers. They needed God. They needed help. They were ready for change. Jesus said it this way, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven' (Matt. 5:3). The Message paraphrase "translates" this verse, 'You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and His rule.'

These men were ready to follow David - no matter what. I guess they figured that they had nothing more to lose. God is looking for men and women like that today. If you've run out of options and have no more solutions, maybe, just maybe, you're on Kingdom ground.