The Captain

"And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became captain over them. And there were with him about four hundred men." (1 Samuel 22:2) 

Men are significant, they are God's strategic plan for the advance of gospel in our city. The gospel is God's means for redeeming broken men into an army of mighty men for his cause of grace. Ray Ortlund has said, "God has given every man a mountain to climb and the question in every man's heart is, do I have what it takes?" Men of distress, debt, and bitterness of the soul are convinced they are useless, but the Lord is gathering these men and breathing life into them with a new captain and king leading the way. 

Discouraged men looked king David in the eye and began to change. They were drawn into an atmosphere of grace and redemption. They met a king safe for sinful men to gather around. There was no fear of belittlement or shame. He exhaled encouragement into their brokenness. Men accustomed to hearing you're not strong enough, you're not significant, you're not whole enough to belong became David's mighty men. Four hundred discouraged men in the hands of a redeemer king became a dangerous army. King Jesus is the true and better David. 

"And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah." (1 Samuel 23:5)