The Gifting of the Plunder

“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 is a frequently encountered term in the chronicle of Israel’s history. Yet, this is not just an ancient word, but an ageless reality in a believer's sojourn. Living life outside the pages of the Old Testament—living in the pages of our present-day earthly 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, they're blessings we're bestowed to steward well—gained treasures we're meant to gift others.

It’s the comfort we provide others because we’ve been comforted by "the God of all comfort" when fears consumed us and the battle bruised us.

It’s the life-giving, peace-producing encouragement we speak to one so low, so discouraged, that hope seems lost, though because of our 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 spiritual warfare.

It’s the testimony we share—living evidence of God’s grace and mercy, love and provision, presence and peace—that inspires someone else to implicitly trust the One who is always trustworthy.

It’s the service we render from the task we’ve been entrusted, ministry birthed from pain—yes, even the miserable failures and setbacks of our earthly sojourn.

It’s the intercession we make, entering God’s presence on behalf of another weary, wounded soldier because our struggles 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, released from the depth of one who's gone toe to toe with the enemy and has experienced God’s retaining presence and redeeming power.

It’s the ULTIMATE GOOD that emerges from the harm the enemy intended, evidenced in the lives of David and countless other God followers throughout the Holy Scriptures, and ultimately showcased in the great salvation story of Jesus Christ.

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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 safekeeping.

His method? Targeting the Savior’s disciples to upset their effectiveness in the expansion of the heavenly kingdom.

But here’s the amazing reality: Even when the enemy fiercely attacks, even when he does everything he can to weaken 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, takes what the enemy meant for evil and brings holy redemption out of it, in our personal lives as well as the lives of those He purposes to impact through us.

There is no one like our God!

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Fellow sojourner, fellow soldier in the battle, like David did, no matter how battered and weary you might be, no matter how unusable you might feel, choose to share your spoils of war with another.

Just do it.

Take up the spiritual plunder you’ve gained from your hard-fought, hard-won battles and gift it to a world that so desperately needs it.

All for the Creator's glory.

All for humanity's good.