“When David reached Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, ‘Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies.’” (I Samuel 30:26; emphasis mine)
plunder: that which is taken by open force from an enemy
(Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary)
Plunder, an oft’ encountered word in the chronicle of Israel’s history, yet this is not just an ancient term, an ancient reality. Living life outside the pages of the Old Testament—living in the pages of our own personal narratives, sovereignly overseen by our Creator—there is plunder for the taking, plunder we gain from doing spiritual battle with the enemy. It’s the war spoils we are spiritually enriched by, the heavenly blessings birthed from our hard-fought, hard-won battles.
But God doesn't intend for us to hoard the spoils.
Rather, it's gained treasures we're meant to gift others.
It’s the comfort we provide another because we’ve been comforted by "the God of all comfort" when the fears consumed and the battle bruised.
It’s the life-giving, peace-producing encouragement we speak to one so low, so discouraged, that hope seems lost, though because of our own struggles we know, through Christ, it’s not.
It’s the lesson learned we pass along—the TRUTH brought to bear in the trenches of our personal warfare.
It’s the testimony we share—living evidence of God’s grace, mercy and love, provision, peace and presence—that inspires someone else to fully trust in the One who can always be trusted.
It’s the service we render from the task we’ve been entrusted, ministry birthed from the pain—yes, sometimes even failures—of our own personal sojourn.
It’s the intercession we make, entering God’s presence on behalf of a weary, wounded fellow soldier because our own battles have taught us the undeniable power that’s unleashed through prayer.
It’s the praise and worship we bring—praise that’s become greater and worship that’s become truer, unleashed from the heart of one that’s gone toe to toe with the enemy and has experienced God’s preserving presence and saving power.
It’s the ULTIMATE GOOD that emerges from the harm the enemy intended, evidenced in the life of David and countless other God followers throughout Scripture—culminated in the great salvation story of Jesus Christ.
As faithful followers of the Savior, as staunch servants of the one true God, you and I are in a battle. And not just occasionally—a here and there skirmish or ruckus—no, we're in an all out war. Make no doubt, our identity in Christ categorizes us as enemies of “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), the “ruler of this world” (John 12:31) who “has blinded the minds of unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 4:4). He knows his time is short, so, with intense fury, the great lion prowls about “seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8).
His mission? To keep souls from entering the Savior’s safe-keeping.
His method? Targeting the Savior’s disciples, in order to upset their effectiveness in the expansion of the heavenly kingdom.
But here’s the amazing reality: Even when the enemy is fiercely attacking, even when he’s doing everything he can to offset our effectiveness and upset the eternal mission—just as he did with so many others, recorded throughout the pages of Scripture—our great Sovereign, in His unexplainable, unstoppable power, is able to take what the enemy meant for evil and bring spiritual good from it, in our personal lives and the lives of others He purposes to impact through us.
There is no one like our God!
Fellow sojourner, fellow soldier in the battle, like David did, no matter how battered and weary you might be or no matter how unusable you might feel, choose to share your spoils of war with another.
Just do it.
Pick up the spiritual plunder you’ve gained from your own hard fought battles and gift it to one who needs it.
All for the Creator's eternal glory.
All for humanity's eternal good.
