1 Samuel 22:1-5: a reflection

1David therefore departed from there and escaped to Adullam’s cave. When his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. 2Everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered themselves to him; and he became captain over them. There were with him about four hundred men. 3David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother come out to you, until I know what God will do for me.” 4He brought them before the king of Moab; and they lived with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. 5The prophet Gad said to David, “Don’t stay in the stronghold. Depart, and go into the land of Judah.” Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hereth.

David, fleeing from Saul, takes refuge in the cave of Adullam; and a curious company gathers to him there. Everyone in distress, everyone in debt, everyone discontented, gathered themselves to him, and he became their captain. It was not the strong and successful who came, but the troubled, the indebted, the bitter of soul, the outcasts and the failures of society. David received them, and made of this ragtag band the beginnings of something; these were the men who would become his mighty followers.

Notice who gathered to David: the distressed, the indebted, the discontented, the very people the world had little use for. David did not turn them away as unpromising material; he received them, became their leader, and in time made something of them. The company that would become his loyal followers began as a gathering of the troubled and the failed, drawn to David in their distress and received by him.

That gathering is a picture of how Christ receives us, and what he makes of us. Like those who came to David, we come to Christ not as the strong and successful, but often in our distress, our debt, our discontent, the troubled and the failed. And Christ does not turn us away as unpromising; he receives us, becomes our leader, and makes something of us that we could not have been on our own. If you come to Christ in distress, in debt, discontented, do not think yourself too troubled or too much a failure to be received. The distressed and indebted gathered to David, and he made them his own; Christ receives such as these, and makes of them what they could never be alone. Come to him as you are, in your distress, and let him receive you and make something of you, as David received and made something of the troubled band that gathered to his cave.

Lord, when David fled to the cave of Adullam, the distressed, the indebted, and the discontented gathered to him, and he became their captain and made something of them; not the strong and successful, but the troubled and the failed. Show me in that how Christ receives me, and what he makes of me. Like those who came to David, I come to Christ not as the strong and successful, but often in my distress, my debt, my discontent, troubled and failing. And Christ does not turn me away as unpromising; he receives me, becomes my leader, and makes something of me that I could not have been on my own. If I come to Christ in distress, in debt, discontented, keep me from thinking myself too troubled or too much a failure to be received. The distressed and indebted gathered to David, and he made them his own; Christ receives such as these, and makes of them what they could never be alone. Help me come to him as I am, in my distress, and let him receive me and make something of me. Receive me as I am, Lord, and make something of me.