Brook Besor - a "plopping point" in the bible

I was really exhausted and worn out today and was led to open Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado. I will write about my reflection soon but here is a summary by a fellow Christian about what that chapter talks about. Happy reading and be blessed!!!!!

P/s: (o.O) I think it actually says everything that I wanna say le hehe. Dunno what to further blog about this haha.

In this chapter it talks about how we run ourselves ragged sometimes doing this and that for everyone until we just can't do one more favor, run one more errand, have one more long conversation, etc. We're so pooped! Max goes on to talk about when David and his six hundred soldiers return from the Philistine war front to find utter devastation. The Amalekites had come to his village, taken everything, even wives and children. The men are sad, then angry, but not against the Amalekites, against David, their fearless leader. David had led them into battle, leaving everything behind to be stolen. They want to stone him.

David seeks God. In 1Sam. 1 Sam. 30:6 "But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God." David asks God if he goes after these raiders, will he catch them, and God says, yes. They head out, already tired from the last war, but they have to retrieve their families and possessions.

They come to Brook Besor, dismount, wade in the water, drink, refresh, wiggle their toes in the grass. Aaahhhh. When it's time to continue on, two hundred decide to stay at Brook Besor and rest. They're exhausted, can't take another step.

Quoting from the book: "How tired does a person have to be to abandon the hunt for his own family?

The church has its quorum of such folks. Good people. Godly people. Only hours or years ago they marched with deep resolve. But now fatigue consumes them. They're exhausted. So beat-up and worn down that they can't summon the strength to save their own flesh and blood. Old age has sucked their oxygen. Or maybe it was a deflating string of defeats. Divorce can leave you at the brook. Addiction can as well. Whatever the reason, the church as its share of people who just sit and rest.

And the church must decide. What do we do with the Brook Besor people? Berate them? Shame them? Give them a rest but measure the minutes? Or do we do what David did? David let them stay."

The story goes on the say that David and his 400 men went and retrieved all the wives and children and possessions. Max talks about how the wives must have felt, being dragged off, captured, but then David and his men come and rescue them. But some are saying, "Honey, where are you?" Some are at Brook Besor, that's where they are. The rescue squad is thinking that the 200 at Brook Besor are leaches, letting them do all the work rescuing their wives. Resentment brews. How does David handle all the disgruntled people?

1 Sam. 30:23-24: "Don't do that after what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and given us the enemy who attacked us. Who will listen to what you say? The share will be the same for the one who stayed with the supplies as for the one who went into battle. All will share alike."

From the book: "Noe David's words: they "stayed with the supplies," as if this had been their job. They hadn't asked to guard supplies; they wanted to rest. But David dignifies their decision to stay.

David did many mighty deeds in his life. He did many foolish deeds in his life. But perhaps the noblest was this rarely discussed deed: he honored the tiered soldiers at Brook Besor. It's okay to rest. Jesus fights when you cannot. Who are the strong to criticize the tired? Reserve passing judgement on the tired. Odds are, you'll need to plop down yourself. And when you do, Brook Besor is a good story to know."

If I hadn't read that story in this book and had it explained to me in that way, I would have cruised right over it in my reading. I'm so thankful for spiritual books that slice God's Word in different ways so can see the subtleties that I would have otherwise missed. Good stuff, huh?

Praise God right? =D

In Psalm 110:1, it says -

The LORD says to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet."

Jesus wants us to sit - a position of rest - as He makes our enemies and trying circumstances footstools for our feet. THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD!

We do the natural, then we let go and let Christ do the supernatural! Our God is not a God of all things natural or all things impossible... NO! He is a GOD OF ALL THINGS POSSIBLE, A SUPERNATURAL AWESOME GOD!

David at the Brook Besor anticipates Jesus -

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly" (Matt. 11:28-30, The Message).

David does not advocate a world where all is fair; he does not insist that everyone only gets what he or she "deserves." In short, David models a mindset of grace. A grace that is shown to all of us in the message of Jesus: a message that says we will not be treated with so-called fairness, but with grace.

By the way, if you wonder what "Besor" means - there was no coincidence in the name of that brook...

The word Besor in Hebrew means "good news"!!!!!!!!!!!! The gospel ("good news") of the New Testament is one of grace. =D

HALLELUJAH!